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Dan Jovic with KTAL News and Staff Sgt. Patrick Bartosavage, 18th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, stare through the observation window of a KC-135 Stratotanker after taking off from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, May 30, 2018. Jovic and 29 other civic leaders from the Greater Shreveport/Bossier City area took part in a tour to Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York to learn about different aspects of the Air Force mission. These tours are designed to promote understanding of the military and introduce civilian leaders to other military units they may not otherwise see. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ted Daigle/released)

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A civic leader from the Greater Shreveport/Bossier City area snaps a picture of the boom on a KC-135 Stratotanker during a flight originating from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, May 30, 2018. The flight was part of a Civic Leader Tour to Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York. The tour allowed local leaders to learn more about the other units within the military and gain a greater understanding of the broader Air Force mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ted Daigle/released)

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U.S. Air Force Col. Robert VanHoy, 307th Bomb Wing commander, speaks to new military enlistees as civilian leaders from the Greater Shreveport/Bossier City area look on at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York, May 31 2018. The enlistees had just completed the U.S. Armed Forces Oath of Enlistment at the Buffalo Military Entrance Processing Station. VanHoy and the civilian leaders were on hand to witness their enlistment as part of a Civic Leader Tour hosted by the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ted Daigle/released)

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Re-enactors fire a cannon during a demonstration at Fort Niagara, New York, May 31, 2018. Civilian leaders from the Greater Shreveport/Bossier City area visited the national historic site as part of a Civic Leader Tour hosted by the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. These tours allow leaders from other areas of the country to learn more about the mission of other military units and their historical traditions. During this tour, the Louisiana contingent learned about the capabilities and mission of the 914th Air Refueling Wing, the 107th Attack Wing, the Niagara Falls Military Entrance Processing Station and the U.S. Coast Guard Buffalo Sector. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ted Daigle/released)

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A U.S. Coast Guardsmen teaches Ashley Henning and Mario Chavez about the mission of Buffalo Sector of the USCG at Niagara Falls, New York, May, 31 2018. Henning and Chavez, along with 28 other civilian leaders from the Greater Shreveport/Bossier City area, took part in a Civic Leader Tour hosted by the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York. The tour allowed the leaders to learn more about Air Force and other military units outside Louisiana. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ted Daigle/released)

Flying to Learn

Published June 4, 2018
By Master Sgt. Ted Daigle
307th Bomb Wing

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. --