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320th AEW 'deploys' Airmen for inaugural support

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Jay Delancy
  • Armed Forces Inaugural Committee
AIR FORCE DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON --  With the 2009 presidential inauguration three months away, more than 85 Airmen have been deployed to the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing, working with the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, or AFIC. 

The 320th AEW, headquartered here, exercises administrative control of Airmen supporting a joint requirement within the National Capital Region and is led by the commander, Air Force District of Washington. Combined with members from the other military services, these 320th AEW Airmen will provide ceremonial support to the presidential inauguration Jan. 20. 

"This is an Air Expeditionary Force deployment for Airmen assigned to AFIC," said Maj. Gen. Ralph J. Jodice II, 320th AEW and AFDW commander. "They will receive credit for this deployment just as they would for a deployment overseas." 

As AFIC manning peaks in the months ahead, the 320th AEW will have almost 200 Airmen on the ground in support of inaugural events, not including AFDW direct support personnel such as U.S. Air Force Honor Guardsmen and Bandsmen, military assistants, drivers and contingency support personnel. 

On Inauguration Day, AFIC will include more than 740 Airmen, soldiers, sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. In addition, thousands of other service members will join the celebration by either marching in the parade or participating in an honor cordon along the two-mile parade route from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.
 
"AFIC was established in the 1950s to serve as the Department of Defense liaison to the Presidential Inaugural Committee and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies," General Jodice explained in a recent commander's call. " It's a joint service committee charged with coordinating all military ceremonial participation in the inauguration, including musical units, marching bands, color guards, salute batteries and honor cordons. 

"The Armed Forces participation in the presidential inauguration is a centuries-old tradition," he said. "We use it to celebrate our democracy, honor our new commander-in-chief and recognize civilian control of the military." 

To date, Airmen from the following installations are deployed to the 320th AEW supporting the inauguration:

Andrews AFB, Md.
Barksdale AFB, La.
Bolling AFB, D.C.
Charleston AFB, S.C.
Dover AFB, Del.
Edwards AFB, Calif.
Eglin AFB, Fla.
Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
Fairchild AFB, Wash.
F.E. Warren,Wyo.
Fort Meade, Md.
Hanscom AFB, Mass.
Hill AFB, Utah
Joe Foss Field, S.D.
Keesler AFB, Miss.
Lackland AFB, Texas
Langley AFB, Va.
Laughlin AFB, Texas
Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
MacDill AFB, Fla.
Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
Minot AFB, N.D.
Moody AFB, Ga.
Offutt AFB, Neb.
Pentagon, Va.
Randolph AFB, Texas
Shaw AFB, S.C.
Scott AFB, Ill.
Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
(AFDW)