'Boss Lift' flight heads to nation's capitol

An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon gets refueled by a KC-135 Air Tanker

I'm on a mission for the next three days. As a radio reporter I've always hoped that one day I'd be embedded on a military mission. Today, I am - sort of.

After being escorted by military police to our rendezvous location at Kirtland Air Force Base, 45 local business leaders and service-disabled veteran owners of small businesses in New Mexico, along with this reporter, boarded an Air National Guard KC-135 Air Tanker after receiving a briefing just before sunrise.

The group, I'm with, has joined up with New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services Cabinet Secretary John Garcia and members of the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for a special “Boss Lift” flight. Now, our Air Force crew is taking us to Andrew's Air Force Base and the nation's capitol for face-to-face meetings with federal agencies.

The flight itself is a chance of a lifetime, and sometime, on today's mission we'll experience an actual “real world” refueling by both F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots, from Kirtland's 150th Fighter Wing (known as the Flying Tacos in the NM National Guard), and by F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft pilots from Holloman Air Force Bases.

Of course, this trip is special because the F-16's are being phased out by the Air Force and the Flying Tacos have been assigned a new mission.

“The flight itself will surely be one that these business owners will never forget,” said Secretary Garcia. “But the real purpose for getting on this plane is two-fold: For the non-veteran business owners, it’s a chance to learn more about the National Guard. And for the service-disabled veterans, it’s a chance to meet federal procurement officials and sell their companies.”

The ESGR Boss Lift program is designed to educate and familiarize employers, who hire reservists and guard members, by letting them see, up close, what their employees do while on temporarily leave from their civilian jobs.

Typical Boss Lift flights also include the chance for employers to watch military training exercises, tour bases installations, and learn about the military and its mission.

While in Washington, our New Mexico group will also get a tour of the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, and will take part in a first-ever ESGR wreath-laying ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery honoring the service of all New Mexico veterans and soldiers.

I'll be taking videos and pictures, and recording audio interviews for reports here and on 770KKOB. Stay tuned.

Chevron Donates Land for Code Talker's Museum

Chevron Corporation will honor the Navajo Code Talkers Association (NCTA) with a gift of more than 200 acres of land. It will be used for a code talker's museum and veteran’s center and for other economic development goals.

The Navajo Code Talkers, who served in all six Marine divisions from 1942 to 1945 during WWII, constructed a code from their native language and have been credited with saving countless lives and hastening the end of the war. In 2001, the Navajo Code Talkers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush.

The official ceremony is Friday, just outside of the Navajo Nation Capital of Window Rock, AZ.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will speak, along with members of the NCTA including President Keith Little and Vice President Samuel Tso, as well as Chevron Mining president, Fred Nelson. New Mexico Veterans' Services Secretary John Garcia, dignitaries, veterans and other community members are also attending the July 31st ceremony.

Memorial Day will be Observed Statewide with Numerous Ceremonies.

No matter where you live in New Mexico, there will be an event this weekend where you can go to observe Memorial Day--ranging from quaint small-town events to big parades.

Memorial Day is the day to honor and remember the men and women who’ve lost their lives while serving in the military. It falls on the last Monday in May and was first observed in 1865 to honor fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War, when it was known as “Decoration Day.”

It became commonly known as Memorial Day in 1882. But it took until 1967 before the U.S. Congress officially declared the day be known as Memorial Day.

To many Americans, it also signals the unofficial beginning of Summer, something which irritates many others like New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services Cabinet Secretary John M. Garcia--who fear the true meaning of the day has now been lost.

“Memorial Day should be more than just the arrival of warm weather,” said Garcia. “I wish more people would also take time to remember to honor our fallen heroes who’ve paid the ultimate sacrifice. Freedom isn’t free. If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t be enjoying this three-day weekend and the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.”

Garcia will be serving as Grand Marshall at the “Fly Freedoms Flag” ceremony and parade this Saturday at Elephant Butte Lake State Park.

The presentation of flags begins at 10am, followed by a POW/MIA service. Secretary Garcia will then board the lead boat at noon for the parade, which will also feature the tossing of Memorial Wreaths into the water. Hundreds of boaters are expected to participate.

Listing of Memorial Day Activities Statewide:

Alamogordo (Monday)
10am ceremony at the Monte Vista cemetery.
1130am ceremony at the Catholic cemetery

Albuquerque (Monday)
10am Ceremony at Veterans’ Memorial Park. Theme is
“Honoring WWII Vets”
7pm Candlelight Vigil at Veterans’
Memorial Park

Angel Fire (Monday)
9am Ceremony
& Flag March to the Vietnam Memorial State Park

Carlsbad (Monday)
9am Parade & Ceremony at the Eddy County
Courthouse

Clovis (Monday)
10am Ceremony at Lawn
Haven Garden of Honor. “Fly-by” by Cannon AFB squad

Ft. Bayard (Monday)
10am Ceremony & Fly-over at the Ft. Bayard National
Cemetery

Ft. Stanton (Saturday)
11am Ceremony at
the Ft. Stanton National Cemetery

Gallup (Monday)
7am Sunrise Service at the Hillcrest
Cemetery
9am Ceremony & parade at the Hillcrest Cemetery. Parade
ends at Veterans’ Memorial Park

Hobbs (Monday)
9am Ceremony at the Prairie Haven
Cemetery

Las Cruces (Monday)
8am/4pm
Garrison Flag Raising/Lowering at Veterans’ Memorial
Park

Questa (Sunday)
1pm “Healing Field of Honor”
ceremony. Lt. Governor Denish and Treasurer James Lewis will attend