On October 3, 2014, City of Homestead Mayor Jeff Porter proclaimed that day in perpetuity as “482nd Fighter Wing Day” during a Military Affairs Committee meet and greet that took place at the Community Activity Center located within the Homestead Air Reserve Base. The meet and greet events take place on a monthly basis and it gives the reservists a chance to introduce themselves and to get to know the members of the Military Affairs Committee.
Calling Homestead “home” since 1981 (including a brief relocation on two different bases due to damages sustained on the base from Hurricane Andrew), The 482nd Fighter Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, is a fully combat-ready unit capable of providing F-16C multi-purpose fighter aircraft, along with mission ready pilots and support personnel, for short-notice worldwide deployment. The wing has more than 2,600 members, including more than 1,700 traditional reservists, of which more than 280 are full-time reservists, in addition to more than 280 full-time civilians. Some of the 482nd’s most recent deployments include Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Unified Response-the single largest international relief effort in history following the catastrophic earthquake that rocked Haiti back in 2010.
“One of the unique advantages of my office in this municipality is my close proximity to the men and women stationed at the 482nd Fighter Wing,” said Mayor Porter from the podium. “We have the distinction here of living in a community where civilians and military personnel live and work and share in each other’s lives on a daily basis and it’s that special relationship that makes our city unique and all the better for it. The City of Homestead proudly salutes the 482nd Fighter Wing for their professionalism, bravery and dedicated service to our nation.”