Arnold Community Council announces annual dinner Oct. 10

  • Published
  • By Kathy Gattis
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  The Arnold Community Council (ACC), a community support group for AEDC, will host its annual dinner Oct. 10 at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center.

The guest speaker is retired Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula. After a distinguished military career, Deptula became the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies and is a senior scholar for the United States Air Force Academy.

Deptula spent more than 34 years in the Air Force as a pilot and later a recognized expert in conceptualizing, planning and executing national security operations from humanitarian relief to major combat operations.

He became the first U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and was a Combined /Joint Task Force Commander twice - first in Operation Northern Watch and the second time in Operation Deep Freeze.

Deptula flew 82 combat missions as a general officer in Operation Northern Watch and flew more than 3,000 hours during his career. About 400 of those hours, he was a pilot in combat, to include multiple operational fighter command assignments in the F-15 Strike Eagle.

"The annual banquet is the culmination of a great year with so many of our members working hard for Arnold Engineering Development Complex," said ACC President Steve Cope. "It is fitting that Lt. Gen. Deptula has accepted our invitation to be the keynote speaker at this premier event. His background and experience as a fighter pilot certainly fits well with the AEDC test facility support council banquet, and we look forward having him here on October 10th."

ACC incoming president Ben Craig said he is thrilled Deptula accepted the invitation to speak at the group's annual dinner. The event is the ACC's only fundraiser and the money raised is used to support and promote AEDC.

Each year the community council sponsors and collects donations for the Veterans Picnic; makes a donation to the AEDC Children's Christmas Party, provides gifts for the Complex's annual military award winners; donates to Honor Flight and sponsors receptions for visiting dignitaries.

The group also travels to Washington, D.C. each year to promote AEDC. About 20-25 ACC members schedule appointments with the Tennessee Congressional delegation and key test and evaluation and ground testing officials at the Pentagon to discuss issues facing AEDC.

Members of the council each pay for their trip expenses out-of-pocket.

In July, ACC sponsored a regional job fair after ATA announced it expected a significant reduction in force.

If you are interested in attending the ACC's annual event, table sponsorships are $700 for a gold and $350 for silver; individual seats are $75 per person. Companies and organizations who sponsor at the gold level will receive 10 seats at the event at a reserved table with the sponsor name; 10 ACC individual memberships for one year and recognition in the program, the dinner slide show and on the ACC website.

Silver sponsors will receive five reserved seats at the dinner, five ACC memberships for one year and recognition in the program, dinner slide show and on the ACC web site.

Individual attendees will get one seat in the general seating area along with a membership to ACC for one year.

All members are invited to ACC meetings held each month and other special events throughout the year.

To sponsor a table or individual seats at the ACC's annual event, email 2013dinner@arnoldcommunitycouncil.com or call Ben Craig (931) 639-0694; Steve Cope (931) 212-4093; Temple Bowling (931) 455-3234; Harry Brittain (931) 247-5417.

The social begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. and the official program at 7 p.m.