Airlift/Tanker Association Conference

I’ve had the opportunity to attend the 43^rd annual Airlift/Tanker Association (A/TA) conference at Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center (I assure you it’s just as posh as it sounds). This convention could best be described as a family reunion for ‘flyers’ and the military aviation community at large. So far I’ve attended a number of seminars and socials, grazing topics like the post 9/11 GI Bill, the defense budget cuts, lessons learned from ‘Operation Odyssey Dawn’ (the recent Libyan air mobility campaign), the narration of the Berlin Airlift told by the “Candy Bomber” himself Col. (Ret.) Gail Halvorsen, and even a Command Chief Q&A panel. Some topics more exhilarating than others as you’ve already surmised but I’ll leave that to your own imaginations.

When I got the email in August telling me I was scheduled for this TDY I thought out loud, “What the heck is A/TA and why am I going?” The question remained mostly unanswered until I arrived and was baptized in the nearly 4,000 flight suits, ABUs, and sports coats attending the conference. By- and-large it seems that the conference is mostly about showcasing the latest aviation innovations and keeping airlift heritage alive through education, inspiration and networking. Speaking of networking (well -crafted segway…boosh), a very deliberate emphasis is also placed on creating a social networking theme, and not that of the Facebook and Twitter variety but rather of stand-up receptions where attendees are deprived of assigned seating and forced to circulate the room with their refreshments in hand. I’ve witnessed Airmen with one stripe and Airmen with four stars mingling side-by-side in same ballroom, at the same booth, and even at the same “beverage counter”. What a neat opportunity to be in an environment where a 21 year old aircraft mechanic or a late 20s aerial photographer (guess who) can rub elbows with MAJCOM commanders and strategic level planners and directors. This conference is definitely a positive career experience, a unique ‘old fashioned’ social networking opportunity and the free food and four star resort venue ain’t bad either.