Former 552nd ACW commander looking forward to celebrating wing’s heritage

  • Published
  • By Darren D. Heusel
  • Tinker Public Affairs

Ben T. Robinson knows a thing or two about the heritage of the 552nd Air Control Wing.

After all, the retired brigadier general served as a captain pilot on the E-3 "Sentry" Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft back in the 1980s, returned to the wing for another stint as the Operations Group commander in the mid-'90s and eventually retired as the wing commander in 2002.

Though General Robinson wasn't in the Air Force when the 552nd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing was first activated at McClellan Air Force Base, Calif., on July 8, 1955, he did spend a good portion of this 34-year career in the wing.

Since its inception 57 years ago, the men and women of the 552nd ACW have been involved in every major operation the United States has conducted. They were there in Vietnam, the Cold War, the continuous deployments to Southwest Asia, the operations in Europe after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the war on drugs, on the morning of 9/11 and today in the Global War on Terror.

And for most of that, General Robinson has been along for the ride, adding that this continuous involvement helped the 552nd ACW earn its nickname "America's Wing."
This proud and storied tradition is one reason General Robinson looks forward to joining other wing personnel both past and present in participating in the 552nd ACW's Heritage Celebration Oct. 25-27.

The theme for the three-day event is, "Paying tribute to our past, honoring our present and celebrating the future!" According to wing officials, the event will provide an opportunity for the 552nd ACW and local community partners to come together and embrace the wing's 57-year history and unmatched community partnership the wing enjoys today.

"It is important for all members of the wing, both those serving today and those who have served in the past, to take pride in what they are part of," said General Robinson, who currently serves as owner and president of Sentry One LLC, an aerospace industry consulting company.

"Our military is motivated by the deeds of our units and services," added General Robinson, who became director of Boeing Aerospace Operations in Oklahoma City shortly after his retirement from the Air Force. "The last 57 years have seen hardship, sacrifice, pride and a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.

"All should be proud of their role in the history and heritage of the 552nd ACW. That includes our friends in the Air Force Reserve Command AWACS group as well."
General Robinson, who began his active duty career as an enlisted man in the Army, said it's important for wing members to celebrate their heritage, as "it is one way we can tell our story, especially to our community members, our family members and our current wing members."

"It builds pride and a desire to continue on with an Air Force career," he said. "It also says someone does recognize the sacrifice and hardship (service members make). It is a way to say 'thank you.'"

Throughout his storied Air Force career, General Robinson said what he enjoyed most is "the people."

"We have been blessed with some of the Air Force's best and brightest," he said. "They are the heart and soul of the 552nd ACW. I will always have a tremendous amount of respect for them."

The retired general went on to say his fondest memory as wing commander was the way his troops performed on the morning of 9/11 and the way they continue to perform today.
"Those days saw the activation of our AFRC group, the deployment of our NATO friends to Tinker, the incredible work ethic of our maintainers and the pride our family members had in their military family members," he said.

General Robinson said his single fondest memories of that time were formed on the flight line, "watching our maintenance troops prepare and launch jet after jet, 24/7, for nine months."

"One morning, I watched a young man and woman launch a jet," he recalled. "The man climbed up on a maintenance stand and the woman stood next to it. They watched their jet taxi out and take off. As it rotated and went airborne, they gave each other a high five. They looked like they should still be in high school.

"On the morning we launched for Operation Enduring Freedom, the crew chief for the first jet watched from the ramp as his jet took off. He put his hands under the jet and (simulated) lifting it into the air...thank God for them."

General Robinson went on to say what he misses most about being on active duty is, without a doubt, being on the flight line.

"I always believed the most important time and place in our wing was between 0600 and 0900 on the flight line," he said. "It was when we were launching our jets for the day's missions. I loved to visit with the troops, ride in the expeditor van and occasionally get to work the long cord for an engine start. It was a great way to start the morning."

As a result, General Robinson said he developed "a real fondness" for maintenance troops.

"Our maintenance troops are the foot soldiers of the Air Force," said General Robinson, a former helicopter pilot in Vietnam. "In the end, they are the ones who get it done. God bless them."

After his retirement, General Robinson said all the training and experience he gained while in the military no doubt helped prepare him for the future.

"Without a doubt, my time in the military and with the 552 ACW gave me a solid foundation for my work with Boeing and for what I'm doing today," he said. "The 552 ACW lived the Air Force core values of 'Integrity First, Service before Self and Excellence in All We Do.'

"I continue to have those values and my personal values today."

The Heritage Celebration will kick off Thursday, Oct. 25 with a static tour of the E-3 Block 40/45 upgrade for members of the 552nd ACW, the 513th Air Control Group and their spouses.

On Friday, Oct. 26, the wing will host their quarterly awards breakfast, followed by a 552nd ACW unclassified mission brief and tours of the maintenance shops, flight simulator and legacy mission simulator, and Block 40/45 static demonstration for off-base guests only.

Also on Oct. 26, members of the Airborne Early Warning Association will be hosting their semi-annual luncheon at the Tinker Club to coincide with the event, followed by a discussion panel at the Base Theater and an "old meets new" icebreaker at the club.
The event will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 27 with an AWACS park dedication in the morning on Sooner Road across the street from the Vance Gate, a 5K run and dinner that evening at the Oklahoma City Marriott, located on Northwest Expressway.

According to Belinda Journey, 552nd ACW protocol chief and one of the main organizers of the event, the idea to host a wing Heritage Celebration stemmed from discussions held last year to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the E-3 and "just kind of grew from there."

"If nothing else, we want our wing members to be able to walk a little taller and our community leaders to gain a better understanding of our mission and the men and women who perform that unique mission day in and day out," Ms. Journey said.