McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. – Cub Scouts will team up with some top aviation specialists of the 108th Air Refueling Wing, here, on Wednesday for the first official “Scouting Day” in the unit’s history. Various Scout groups regularly visit the 108th ARW throughout the year to tour one of the wing’s 20 aerial refuelers, the KC-135 Stratotanker, but this is the first year that the wing extended an invitation to multiple Packs from the surrounding communities. 

Pack 40, from West Windsor and Mercer County was the first to sign up with over 30 Cub Scouts, parents, and siblings scheduled to participate. The Scouts’ mission: perform community service and participate in aviation classes in which the Scouts can earn aviation merit badges. 

“Scouting Day” kicks off with a welcome from the 108th ARW Commander, Brig. Gen. Wally Pickard, at 8:15 a.m., followed by a safety briefing. Then, the Scouts, their siblings, parents, and den leaders fan out over the 108th ARW complex from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. to accomplish base beautification projects, such as weed removal and vehicle washing. Lunch will be from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by alternating tours of the KC-135 and classroom instruction from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. when the Scouts call it a day and head home.

The Air National Guard exists to serve both state and nation -- in times of peace and in crisis. The 108th ARW has always been there to help the community and the state when disasters come calling. The men and women of the 108th ARW routinely support events in their local communities, providing positive role models for groups such as the Boy Scouts. Community service is at the core of the very existence of these “citizen-airmen.” 

The 108th ARW is a Reserve component of the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command and one of only three “Super Tanker Wings” in the Air National Guard. As a key player on the mobility team, the 108th ARW provides air refueling training and airlift for active, Guard, Reserve and international forces. The Wing also deploys operationally throughout the world in support of contingencies, such as Allied Force, and ongoing operations, such as Northern and Southern Watch. 

For more information about the 108th Air Refueling Wing, or if you’d like to cover this event, contact their Community Manager, Captain Denise Waggoner, at 609-754-4173, or by email: denise.waggoner@njmcgu.ang.af.mil. Or page her at 800-759-8888, pin 4623225#.