President lands at JB MDL

Published May 30, 2013
By Airman 1st Class Ryan Throneberry
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- President Barack Obama flew into Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst May 28, 2013, and visited with joint base community members and leaders while en route to see the post-Hurricane Sandy recovery effort on the New Jersey shore with Gov. Chris Christie.

Service members, families and local media congregated outside the McGuire Passenger Terminal, awaiting the arrival of the president's flagship, Air Force One, despite the steady drizzle of overcast skies.

The small group selected to attend the arrival comprised community members who were personally affected by Hurricane Sandy and service members who were selected by their unit as top performers. Friends and families of White House staffers and Secret Service agents were also invited to attend.

The flightline buzzed with Secret Service agents as Obama disembarked Air Force One to greet Christie and Cols. John Wood and Rick Williamson, 87th Air Base Wing and 305th Air Mobility Wing commanders, respectively. The president headed toward the assembled crowd for a personal greeting before heading to the shore in Marine One.

The first community member Obama said hello to was Toby Wilderotter, the son of Air Force Staff Sgt. Douglas Wilderotter, 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron KC-10 Extender crew chief.

Toby, 11, recently won a local school Memorial Day essay contest on the topic of "the cost of freedom" which he read at the joint base's annual Parade of Wreaths Ceremony May 23. His mother, Jessica, said it had been a pretty eventful week for Toby.

"It was a very cool to meet one of the most influential men in the country," said Toby. "I was a little nervous to meet him, but in the end it was worth it."

The presidential visit to the base was a successful event because of the large amount of behind-the-scenes work done by the preparation team, said Keith Taylor 305th Operations Support Squadron airfield manager.

"Multiple joint-base offices and agencies worked together diligently to make this visit as seamless as possible After being notified of the president's planned arrival here," said Taylor. "We worked from the beginning with Secret Service and other White House officials to handle every aspect of the relatively short-notice event. The president's staff was very pleased with the level of support they received."

The hard work paid off when joint base community members were given the chance to see a U.S. president for perhaps their first time.

"It was an awesome experience to shake hands with the president," said Army Staff Sgt. David Gomez, 7217th Medical Support Unit post-deployment reassessment noncommissioned officer in charge. "I also loved seeing Air Force One; she's a beautiful aircraft. It's safe to say I can cross this experience off my bucket list."

Several hours after their departure to the Jersey Shore, Obama and Christie returned to McGuire Field. Obama waved goodbye before boarding Air Force One and heading home.

"It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'll never forget it," said Gomez.