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President Obama visits Selfridge

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Dan Heaton
  • 127th Wing Public Affairs
SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. --  President Barack Obama paid a short visit to Selfridge Air National Guard Base on Wednesday, Sept. 9, while on his way to a speaking engagement at nearby Macomb Community College. It was the president's first visit to the historic air base since 2009.

Brig. Gen. Doug Slocum, 127th Wing commander, greeted the president and was joined by the mayor of Detroit, Michael Duggan, and the Wayne County executive, Warren Evans, along with Chief Master Sgt. Robert Dobson, the command chief of the 127th Wing.

After the arrival of Air Force One, the president spent several minutes shaking hands and greeting a small group of Airmen from the base and local civilian guests.

Slocum expressed his appreciation of the efforts of many Airmen around the 127th Wing who helped support the visit of the President, who was joined on the flight by Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and U.S. Reps. Sander Levin and Brenda Lawrence, both D-Mich. Biden is a former community college professor.

"It was an honor to represent the Airmen of the 127th Wing and the entire Team Selfridge community to welcome the commander in chief to our base," Slocum said.

About the 127th Wing
Comprised of approximately 1,700 personnel and flying both the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the KC-135 Stratotanker, the Michigan Air National Guard's 127th Wing supports Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command operations by providing highly-skilled Airmen to missions domestically and overseas. The 127th Wing is the host unit at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which marks its 98th year of continuous military air operations in 2015.

About Selfridge Air National Guard Base
One of the oldest military air fields in continuous service, the military first took possession of Selfridge Air National Guard Base on July 1, 1917. The first military flight at the base took place on July 8 and formal flight operations began on July 16, 1917. Today the 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard is the host unit at the base, which also houses units of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection.