TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Tyndall Air Force Base and the Bay County Chamber of Commerce hosted base honorary commanders at the Beacon Beach Marina Club Thursday, Sept. 21, for an event intended to inform honorary commanders more about Tyndall’s mission, and connect Tyndall leaders with community leaders.
The Bay County Chamber of Commerce and Tyndall, who have a long-standing partnership, held the meeting as part of an initiative to keep the public informed and up-to-date on Tyndall functions.
The Air Force’s Honorary Commander Program is a vital part of Air Force community relations, connecting civic leaders with the men and women who serve every day on the installations in these leaders’ communities. Honorary commanders are key leaders or members of the public assigned to an Air Force squadron belonging to Tyndall. They have the opportunity to see many of Tyndall’s daily operations and share the knowledge they gain with members of the local community.
“Tyndall’s Honorary Commander Program helps increase knowledge and understanding about the Air Force and the installation, and it also increases the bonds between local participants in the community and the Air Force,” said Thomas Bonifay, 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs community relations chief. “An Air Force base cannot function properly or complete its mission effectively without public trust and support from the local community. The program opens the door to good communication by allowing civic leaders to see how each unit operates.”
The 325th FW’s PA Office is responsible for overseeing the program. Individuals wishing to be part of the program must serve in four cabinet-level positions in the Bay County Chamber of Commerce before being appointed an honorary commander.
Civic leaders are teamed up with one of the four group commanders for a one-year orientation program. During this year, these leaders are offered an immersion experience with their unit which gives them unique insight on military operations and the lives of Airmen and their families.
Tyndall also has members assigned to each squadron commander. This allows Tyndall to more effectively communicate the specialized mission of each unit to the public. These honorary commanders are individuals from all over the Bay County area.
There are currently 23 civic leaders appointed as honorary commanders. Each of them makes contributions to Tyndall through their support in their respective fields. This can include supporting Tyndall against base closures and testifying to congress how important they view the base's contributions to the local community. The honorary commander program exists at most Air Force bases and is governed by Air Force Instruction 35-105, “Community Relations.”
According to the Profession of Arms Center of Excellence, the Air Force has a responsibility to increase public awareness of the missions, policies and programs of the U.S. Air Force and an understanding of the Department of Defense. The honorary commander program is an Air Force program which can be used to meet this objective, and the intent is to create one-on-one opportunities to inform and educate local community leaders about the missions of the U.S. Air Force.