What an inspiring visit to Nellis Airforce Base in Las Vegas, NV. Many thanks to our tireless board member Gen. Norm Lezy (USAF,ret.) for making the arrangements. We braved 108 degree heat with our terrific guide, Lt. Col Tony Millicamp. U R the best, Tony. We began our visit with ThanksUSA scholarship winner Derek Sterling who is a military spouse taking care of his young son while his wife Sara completes her tour of duty. Derek is completing his undergraduate degree in social work. We hope Derek and Sara can attend our ThanksUSA gala in Washington DC this fall once they are settled in their new lives. We also enjoyed meeting Col Greg Dodson who just returned to Nellis from a tour at the Pentagon.
Our day continued with a fascinating tour of the strategic warfare command center where we viewed Soviet and other military aircraft and anti-aircraft weaponry. The highlight of the tour was a visit with the Thunderbirds, the elite Air Force demonstration team. Sgt. Dan Lawson who is about to join the Thunderbird team gave us a firsthand look at their jets and hanger while giving us a real sense of the espirit de corps that permits this group to represent so admirably the world's finest air force, the United States Air Force. You rock, Dan.
As we departed Las Vegas we visited the mobile USO center managed so capably by Pam Fairbanks. The new USO now brings its brand of service to military personnel directly to the troops through one stop shopping mobile vans. We plan another USO visit in Chicago, thanks to Lynly Boor with USO's worldwide headquarters in DC. Thx, Lynly.
Off to the west with visits to awe inspiring national parks in Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota.
We will also see Utah's senior Senator, Orrin Hatch, a strong and early supporter of ThanksUSA's scholarship program for the kids and spouses of the troops.
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