The weather cooperated nicely when the 179th Airlift Wing at Mansfield Lahm Airport celebrated Family Day on Saturday, Sept. 14. The day’s activities allowed base personnel to bring their families on base to see the facility and areas of operations, and to just have fun.
Each squadron offered different activities. At Security Forces, Tech. Sgt. Michelle Roark explained that the youth could shoot air soft guns at balloon targets, use camouflage paint to paint faces, and there was a weapons display. Chief Master Sgt. Richard Schuller wasn’t in uniform that day. He wore a kilt and was playing bagpipes to entertain visitors.
Schuller is a member of the Royal Scot Highlanders and they play outside at Richland Academy in Mansfield every Monday night at 7 p.m. He noted that they are looking for new members and need drummers. Anyone can learn the pipes he said. The units pipe major gives lessons, and bagpipes range in cost from $1,000-$4,000.
Schuller has been playing for approximately 12 years.
“If you have some musical background, it helps. But if you pay attention, you can learn the basics in about six months. You start on a chanter, which is attached to the pipes,” Schuller said.
Out on the flight line, Loadmaster Senior Master Sgt. Chris Morehead was helping visitors onto a C-130H. The plane was a popular stop during the day’s activities and a line of people waited to board.
Morehead has been a loadmaster since 1989 and has been with the unit since 1983.
Colin Cathers, son of Master Sgt. Dwayne Cathers of vehicle maintenance was in the cockpit with his uncle Frank Hollon, both of Lucas. Cathers’ girlfriend Tory Warren checked out the view from the pilot’s seat. There are currently two C-130 on the ramp at the base.
Other activities on Saturday included a number of inflated play places for children, as well as, a climbing wall and bungee jumping. There was also a car show and visitors could see some of the firefighting vehicles that serve the base, including an Army Hewatt tanker. It probably struck visitors as something unique because rather than the red color most civilians are accustomed to, the truck was Army green.
The soldiers with the truck were with the 295th Engineering Detachment. SPC Jackson Brandon noted that the group is located nearby at the Armed Forces Reserve Center. The unit with trucks, transported by C-5s, deployed to Afghanistan in 2011-2012. They were relieved in Afghanistan by their sister firefighting unit, the 296th.
Additional displays to explore on Family Day included the Medical Group providing blood pressure screenings, the Ashland Nursing group, the American Red Cross, the Gorman Nature Center, and the Ohio Bird Sanctuary.
