Air Force chief visits Shelbyville

Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, visited Shelbyville Monday night to address the annual Arnold Community Council banquet held at Calsonic Arena.

Schwartz is the highest-ranking uniformed member of the Air Force and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which advises the President, the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council.

Arnold Community Council is a community group established in 2000 to promote the Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center.

Schwartz compared the teamwork required to operate AEDC, and America's military, with the teamwork relied on by the Tennessee Titans to compile their 10-0 record.

"That's not an accomplishment built on showboats or individual superstars," said Schwartz, challenging the audience to name three of the players from Tennessee's top-rated defense.

"Today's Joint Force team epitomizes the essence of teamwork," he said.

He invoked the name of Pharmacist's Mate First Class John Harlan Willis, a posthumous Medal of Honor winner from Columbia who responded heroically to a hand grenade attack at Iwo Jima. Later, outgoing Arnold Community Council president Jerry Mansfield led the audience in a toast to Willis and all of those like him who served.

Schwartz thanked Arnold Community Council for its support of AEDC, which he said translates into support for service members around the world and in harm's way.

"We thank you all sincerely for all that you do on behalf of our airmen and on behalf of Team Arnold," said Schwartz.

"It's really about unwavering support for the men and women in uniform."

The general visited AEDC for the first time on Monday.

"I've never been here before," he said. "I get it now."

Monday's banquet had more than 580 in attendance, according to AEDC commander Col. Art Huber, and was the largest event in Arnold Community Council's history. Among the dignitaries in attendance were retired Admiral Frank Kelso, of Fayetteville, who served as Chief of Naval Operations in the early 1990s. Schwartz called Kelso "a role model for so many," and the crowd gave Kelso a standing ovation.

Also in attendance was former AEDC commander David Stringer, who now works with NASA.

The council's board of directors represents 12 Tennessee counties as well as Madison County, Ala.

Walt Wood, of Shelbyville, is a former president of the council and introduced Schwartz at Monday night's banquet. The banquet marked the transition between Mansfield and incoming president Jim Apple. Apple was accompanied by his wife, Motlow State Community College president MaryLou Apple.

Shelbyville Mayor Wallace Cartwright led the pledge of allegiance during the opening ceremonies for the banquet, and Bedford County Commissioner the Rev. John Brown gave the invocation. Many local officials and community leaders were in attendance.

Following Schwartz's speech, the general received several gifts and presentations.

Doyle Meadows, CEO of The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, presented Schwartz with a tri-colored ribbon. Mansfield, who thanked the Celebration for its hard work in preparing Calsonic Arena for the event, explained to Schwartz that a bull-riding and truck-racing event had been held in the facility just two days earlier.

"That's why the surface is cracked," quipped Schwartz, referring to the compressed quarterdown on the arena floor.

Huber presented Schwartz with a plaque in memory of AEDC's namesake Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold; and representatives of three area distilleries presented him with their products.