479th FTG dines out one last time

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eric Schloeffel
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The 479th Flying Training Group held their final dining out at the Valdosta Country Club Saturday to commemorate their successes and tradition of training pilots. 

The event, which included attendance of spouses and numerous civic leaders, served as the last formal 479th FTG social event and featured a speech from Gen. (Ret.) Lloyd "Fig" Newton, former commander of Air Education Training Command. 

"The people who make the Air Force mission happen are sitting right here tonight," said General Newton. "They are the people who fly the airplanes and help some of the greatest Air Force pilots receive their training, so they can carry the fight to our enemy." 

The 479th FTG is scheduled to deactivate later this year but has already begun the phasing-out process. Much of their staff and aircraft will be transferred to other bases and units throughout the Air Force. 

"The dining out gave us the opportunity to share a little camaraderie and good times in the face of our unit closure," said Col. Richard Turner, 479th FTG commander. "The event also provided a formal setting where we could include our spouses, while keeping a little Air Force tradition alive." 

General Newton's speech at the event marked an era that has come full-circle, as he was invited to speak at the first 479th FTG dining out nearly eight years ago and played a vital role in its placement at Moody, said Colonel Turner. 

"General Newton was the key player in the reactivation and placement of the 479th FTG at Moody," he said. "He recognized the need to expand undergraduate flying training production capability and determined Moody was the perfect location." 

But while the group he ushered into Moody will soon cease to exist, its legacy as a superior unit will live on, said General Newton. 

"The 479th FTG, and all of its various squadrons, have a great history of performing extraordinary work for aerospace forces in this country," said the general. "We all are very proud of your outstanding efforts and can appreciate how tough it is to engage in the war on terror." 

Despite the event's focus on the closing of an era, Airmen from the 479th FTG will carry the unit's tradition of pride and accomplishment to their next assignments, said Colonel Turner. 

"Knowing I'm the last commander of 'America's Flying Training Group' is bittersweet, but I feel extremely proud to be a part of this organization," he said. "I feel fortunate knowing the instruction provided by the 479th FTG, in both leadership and flight training, will continue as our Airmen and students join the operational Air Force to continue their careers."