DVIDS – News – Planes, Trains and Automobiles! 811th FSS visits Dulles Airport

JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, Washington, D.C – The U.S. Air Force 811th Force Support Squadron took a behind-the-scenes tour of Dulles International Airport with their honorary commander, Tanisha Lewis, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority vice president of diversity, inclusion and social impact, on April 30, 2024.

The tour gave the members of 811th FSS, which is part of the 11th Wing, an idea of how an airport operates and highlighted Dulles is a “city within a city,” providing all necessary services to the airport and noting similarities to the services provided by a force support squadron.

“This is an ongoing collaboration effort between us and our Honorary Commander,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Trisha Guillebeau, 811th FSS commander. “Partnerships with the community are important.”

Members of 811th FSS navigated the airport utilizing a Mobile Lounge, stopping at the Local Emergency Operations Center, the Airport Operations Center, a control tower, the fire department and witnessed a K-9 demonstration.

The day was then wrapped up with presentations about Dulles’s role in Operation Allies Welcome, when they processed over 52,000 evacuees from 204 inbound flights through the airport after the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.

“It was important that we show that we are an organization who are willing to work with the 11th Wing to ensure that our military families and veterans have opportunities here at the Airports Authority,” said Lewis. “We look forward to partnering with all branches of the armed forces and working closely with them to ensure that our service members who give so much of themselves to us, that we give back to them. That’s what today was all about.”

The Honorary Commander Program’s goal is to build strong relationships between military installations and their surrounding communities. Honorary commanders have the opportunity to attend wing and installation activities, share their unique perspectives as community leaders and showcasing their own installations and activities to the military community.