Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio -- While the Honorary Commander program is designed to facilitate professional engagement between military leaders and their civilian counterparts, it became clear during the close of the 2025 Team Wright-Patt program that those professional relationships had developed into genuine personal friendships.
The 2025 Honorary Commander cohort kicked off its journey in May 2025 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force™ with more than a dozen incoming Honorary Commanders. There, they met their command partners, took behind-the-scenes tours of historic museum facilities, and participated in a formal induction ceremony.
Throughout the year, the cohort gathered for both large-group base tours and immersive activities. These included visiting the air traffic control tower to understand flight operations, observing emergency medical response demonstrations from the 88th Medical Group, and receiving critical mission briefings from the National Air and Space Intelligence Center and the National Space Intelligence Center.
While the group events provided a broad overview of the installation footprint, the true depth of the program occurred during the individual, one-on-one engagements. Command pairs met independently to tour their respective worksites, engage with staff, and dive deep into the specific mission-sets of each organization. This tailored approach allowed both military and civilian leaders to gain a clear, mutual understanding of how their operations impact the Miami Valley, and each other.
“Chris and I see each other regularly in the community at events,” said Col. Dustin Richards, 88th Air Base Wing commander, referring to his partner, Chris Kershner, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer. “I would say your impact is probably more felt by our families and our loved ones who are around in the community — it's been phenomenal.”
By fostering mutual cooperation and shared interests between the base and the local community, Team Wright-Patt builds enduring partnerships that strengthen regional defense support and civilian-military cohesion.
This was demonstrated by the collaboration between Col. Marietta Sanders, 88th Mission Support Group commander, and her partner, Mackensie Wittmer, National Aviation Heritage Area executive director. During the capstone event, Sanders shared with the group the tremendous impact Wittmer had during an MSG leadership off-site. The intent of the off-site was to think outside the box and operationalize the 88th Air Base Wing Strategic Plan; specifically, Sanders wanted her team to truly focus on what it meant to be stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB and live in the Dayton community
“Who better to center us on our aviation heritage?” asked Sanders. She went on to explain Wittmer’s impact on the overall process. “She really set the stage to get us in the right frame of mind,” Sanders continued that Wittmer’s non-military approach was key to evoking better overall solutions, “really pushing each other and getting to know each other and thinking about our challenges and our opportunities from a different perspective.”
For her part, Wittmer praised the program and the opportunity to participate in this unique military-civilian partnership.
“The Honorary Commander program provided insight into the complex and critical relationship between Wright-Patterson AFB and our surrounding communities,” she said. “Thank you to Col. Richards, the 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs team, and my commander, Col. Marietta Sanders from the Mission Support Group, for including me in this year’s program.”
A Transition, Not a Goodbye
The recent capstone ceremony, held at Wright-Patt's Arnold House, brought this formal year of education and connection to a close, with the current class officially transitioning into emeritus status.
While transitioning to emeritus status marks the end of their active year, Team Wright-Patt is not saying "goodbye," but rather "see you later." The professional networks and personal friendships built over the last year are designed to endure long after the formal certificates are handed out.