Utilizing community contacts among civic leaders makes unit ties stronger to town and citizens

Matthew Klusterman, Superintendent of Belleville School number 118, gives the thumbs up signal that he is ready to go with Staff Sergeant Sgt. Daniel Paus and the rest of the security forces of the 932nd Airlift Wing, assembled during a special Belle-Scott civic leader engagement held the middle of August at Scott Air Force Base. Paus is assigned to the 932nd Security Forces Squadron. Fifty-nine years ago service members were not treated so well in Belleville as they are today. To help mend the relationship between the city and Scott, the Belleville Plan, which is now the Belle-Scott committee, was created to make a stronger bond between the base and area leaders. Recently the 932nd Airlift Wing setup part of the hangar and a C-40C plane for civic leader visits from mostly St. Clair County's civic and business leaders. The local group was served snacks, toured facilities, met medical staff and heard a mission briefing. The C-40 planes of the Air Force Reserve Command unit in Illinois are used to transport our nation's civilian and military leadership that touched on the role of both the Guard and Reserve at the base located near Belleville. The Belle-Scott Committee is comprised of local community leaders who meet with Scott Air Force Base officials on a recurring basis. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Stan Paregien)