The 38th Class of Leadership San Antonio (LSA) recently met for their Military and Veterans Day, where they got a behind-the-scenes look at military training operations throughout San Antonio. LSA kicked off the day at NuStar Energy, where Major (Retired) Joseph R. Claburn spoke about “Military Joe to Joe,” an assimilation experience for veterans who are leaving the service.
Afterward, the class traveled to Lackland Air Force Base where the first thing on the agenda was the Department of Defense (DoD) Military Working Dog Program. The class watched a demonstration on what military working dogs can be trained to do. Following the demonstration, the group met with psychologist Dr. Stewart Hilliard, Program Manager for the DoD Military Working Dog Breeding Program at Lackland AFB. He shared the process of how the Military Working Dogs are raised and then trained once they are selected for a specific area of service. Dr. Hilliard has over 30 years of experience in training companion and working dogs.
Prior to boarding the 433rd Airlift Wing C-5A Galaxy, the group was welcomed by Col. Jeffrey T. Pennington, Commander, 433rd Airlift Wing. The group had the opportunity to tour the entire C-5A Galaxy and talk to members of the aircrew in order to better understand the Alamo Wing’s mission. The 433rd Airlift Wing is called the Alamo Wing because when it was used for pilot training it was nicknamed the Alamo Wing by students and instructors. In September 1954, headquarters officially confirmed the name making it an approved and official means to identify the unit. About 3,400 men and women belong to the Alamo Wing. It is officially 56 years old and only 5 years younger than the entire Air Force. In June of 1984, the 433rd Airlift Wing became the first Reserve unit to own and operate its own fleet of C-5s.
During lunch the group was addressed by leadership speaker Major General (USARMY, Ret.) Alfred Valenzuela. At one time, he commanded United States Army South at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. He has received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Super Service Medal and the Bronze Star for Valor. In March 2003, Valenzuela presided over the funeral of the first casualty of the Iraq War. The death of the soldier, who was not yet a U.S. citizen, sparked Valenzuela to wonder what motivated that soldier and other immigrants to make such a sacrifice. Due to this, he wrote “No Greater Love: The Life and Times of Hispanic Soldiers,” commemorating the 21 soldiers he buried during his years of service.
Next, LSA Class 38 headed to Camp Bullis, where they split into two groups and learned about the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute (DMRTI). The DMRTI training center started out as a single floor warehouse structure and was transformed into Tac-SiMM, a 12,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art simulation training center. It is an interactive warfare trainer that gives the Combat Casualty Care Course a more realistic experience. The training center prepares junior officers from the Army, Air Force and Navy who only have minimal field exposure through an eight-day training exercise. While in the simulator, medical personnel are placed into scenarios that imitate a combat environment, including real world sounds and voices relating to the particular environment.
The day concluded back at NuStar Energy with a Challenge Coin presentation and reception for the class.
The members of LSA Class 38 are grouped into committees responsible for developing agendas for each of the eight class days. The agenda for Military & Veterans Day was developed by class members:
LSA is a joint partnership of The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Click here for more information on LSA or email Allegra Zwaan.