Dobbins Launches Hercules Council

By: Poncho Wilson

The 94th Airlift Wing Command launched the Hercules Council, a grassroots community relations program named in honor of its trademark transport plane fleet, Tuesday.

Dobbins' public affairs had it sights set firmly on —and for good reason.

As principal of , the 1983 MHS alumnae, who like all life-long Mariettans literally grew up in Dobbins ARB’s shadow, was the perfect civilian candidate for the 94th's auspicious ambassador program whose nom de guerre pays homage to the flagship transport plane fleet stationed there.

But what undoubtedly drew Colburn to the 94th’s Hercules Council was her family’s military service background and her tireless support of the Air Force ROTC’s extracurricular program at Marietta High School.

She’s had such positive influence on its continued success at MHS that even her own son, Phillip Colburn, a ninth-grader and Blue Devil to the core, is enrolled in the program. 

“My father was a military officer, so my support of the military and especially Dobbins and its influence on Marietta and Cobb County’s health and growth are very important to me. It’s important to all of us because it’s an active partnership,” Colburn said.

Colburn was among a dozen business and community leaders who met Tuesday morning behind Dobbins ARB’s gates at the Consolidated Club cafeteria and conference room for continental breakfast and briefings from Dobbins ARB’s top brass.

In a time of  massive federal budget cuts, including base realignment at Forest Park’s Fort Gillem, the impending closure of Fort McPherson in south Atlanta and the dismantling of the once-mighty Naval Air Station Atlanta just across the tarmac from the 94th’s gleaming new air traffic control tower, Dobbins ARB’s top brass isn’t dwelling on what-ifs but focusing on can-dos.

“It’s literally impossible for us to do our jobs without local support,” said DAR’s public affairs officer Shaun Shenk. “And hosting the Hercules Council benefits everyone involved, to let the general public know what we’re doing and this is how we’re doing it.”

This was the second and penultimate Hercules Council meeting of the year. It opened with a bang with the likes of Col. Marshall Irvin, a 28-year Air Force veteran and the 94th’s chief infrastructure officer.

Had his military career not progressed to where it is today, Col. Irvin surely would have raked in millions as a motivational speaker with his passionate and energetic public speaking delivery.

“This isn’t about us,” the affable Col. Irvin boomed in his drab and pixilated pattern combat fatigues while standing before the breakfast group.

He pointed at himself and the other officers seated to his right. He then shifted his stance and moved his arms in a wide circular motion as if to encompass everyone in the room: “This is about us. This is about all of us.”

“Every time I go out I have people thanking me for my service,” Irvin added. “But I have a standard answer for them all. I say, 'Thank you for your support.' The reason we have the best Air Force in the world and can deliver much needed equipment to our service men and women throughout the world and deliver death and devastation to our enemies is because of you and your support of us.”

Death and devastation of America’s enemies may become more of a regular occurrence come Oct. 1, Col. Irvin said.

That’s when Dobbins ARB transitions from Air Education Training Command to Air Mobility Command.

From base physicians to traditional airmen, cooks and contractors, “we’re going to take these people and bring them to the fight,” Col. Irvin assured the group.

The transition is a total effort. Going from a traditional model of military teachers and tutors to full-time terrorism fighters will elevate Dobbins ARB’s profile and troop proficiencies, Col. Irvin said.

Following the high-powered breakfast session, council members were bussed over to Dobbins ARB’s new $7.5 million, 7,000 square-foot air control tower and air control training simulator.

A ribbon cutting ceremony with little fanfare and threadbare media coverage was held there Aug. 9.

So for most council members this was their first time to hear of it, much less tour the facility first hand.

Accompanied by Lt. Col. Timothy Johnson, Lt. Col. Pete Wojcieschowski and Col. Steve Clayton, the group entered the ground floor, took an elevator up five floors and then hiked a few more in an air conditioned stairwell to reach the the nine-story tower’s high-security inner sanctum.

Standing at 100 feet tall, this state-of-the-art beige stucco flight line fortress dwarfs its circa 1940s red brick predecessor by 40 feet. All that remains of the former tower is a dirt and concrete square patch about the size of a regulation basketball court.

In 2010, Dobbins air traffic controllers conducted 70,118 operations, making the base the 12th busiest in terms of traffic, according to Dobbins ARB public affairs.

“We can do it all from here,” said air traffic control specialist David Seal during the council’s guided tour. “Our visibility and radar capabilities are unmatched. And it’s all about getting our aircraft  and airmen in and out safely,” added Seal, a civilian federal employee who’s been with Dobbins air control operations since 1996. 

From the air tower tour and air control simulator demonstration, the group boarded the bus again for a drive through Dobbins ARB’s campus and general facilities, narrated by Dobbins ARB's chief of engineering Kelly Childress, also a civilian employee.

Council members’ questions were fielded by Childress' first-hand knowledge as he backed up each response with data reports from just a few efficient taps on his tablet computer.

Even standing in the aisle of a moving, bobbling bus, Dobbins ARB staff was operating at peak efficiency.

“I just think it’s great that we get to see how things operate here so we can go out and tell everyone what a great job our military is doing,” Colburn added. “They’re keeping us safe from harm, and that’s a huge responsibility.”

For information about attending the Hercules Council or other Dobbins ARB outreach programs and opportunities, contact Shaun Shenk at 678-655-5055 and shaun.shenk.1@us.af.mil