Lions Hear Pope AFB Inspector General

The Inspector General at Pope Air Force Base was the guest speaker at the weekly meeting of the Sanford Lions Club Thursday, July 29, and presented an informative program describing his Air Force career and changes taking place at the base. Lt. Col. Jonathan Shockey was accompanied by Vicki Johnson, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant who is now Chief of Public Affairs for the 43^rd Airlift Wing assigned to Pope.

Lt. Col. Shockey’s 19 years of Air Force service has carried him to many bases throughout the United States and the world as a C-130 pilot and flight instructor. That includes being among the earliest crews to fly into Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan at the beginning of that war following the 9-11 attack in New York.

But the officer now calls Sanford home as his wife, Joy, is a local native and they plan to maintain their residence here until he retires. The couple has two children and they are members of Cool Springs Baptist Church as is Lion Bucky Phillips who was in charge of the program.

Lt. Col. Shockey explained how Pope AFB was programmed for realignment under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) law. The Air Force and U.S. Army at Ft. Bragg are still engaged in the transition process, but when completed all installation support functions and real property at the air base become a part of the Ft. Bragg Garrison under the U.S. Army. The air base will become Pope Army Airfield, yet Air Force personnel will still operate air support services for Ft. Bragg. When completed, Ft. Bragg will be home to one-tenth of the Army’s fighting force and that means that the role of the U.S. Air Force there will be more important than ever, the officer said.

President Dr. Marvin Joyner presided, citing a number of members on the sick list to be remembered and recognized Lion Glenn Jones upon his return following a lengthy absence and also Lion Billy Miller who was recently hospitalized. The invocation was delivered by Bill Whiteman and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Jimmy Bridges. Wendell McGee led the club in singing the first and third verses of the “Star Spangled Banner.”