EXPANDING their horizons

  • Published
  • By Cindy Holbrook
  • Skywrighter Staff
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  They were like kids at a candy store in their eagerness to try out equipment, test ladders, taking photos and basically just enjoy an afternoon touring Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

The Dayton Gems professional hockey team visited Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Jan. 4, touring the base operations' control tower and weather station, the nearby fire department, the 445th Airlift Wing and C-5 Galaxy aircraft and then ended the day at the Base Exchange in Kittyhawk signing autographs.

Players climbed the ladders of the fire trucks, took the pilot seat of the C-5 and watched planes take off and land at the control tower, as part of their tour of the base.

In an effort to learn more about each other, members of WPAFB will attend the Gems' game against the Fort Wayne Komets Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Hara Arena.

Many of the people who work at Wright-Patt come from all over the country and other nations. The same holds true for the Gems, who have many players hailing from Canada. Learning about Wright-Patt and the community offers the players a new kind of experience. There are 22 players, and most participated in the tour.

"Our players are from all over the United States and Canada," said Gems Coach Brian Gratz, who played for the Dayton Bombers before becoming a coach. He is originally from Fort Wayne, Ind.

"We probably are about 50/50 with Americans and Canadians," Mr. Gratz said. "We actually have more Americans on our team than everyone else in our league. But coming to Wright-Patt is a wonderful event for us. It's the second year we've done this, and it is a great way to see what Dayton has to offer and to honor the many men and women serving our country. I have family and friends in the military, and we are grateful to have this experience. We have a lot in common with the military because a lot of us are away from home, too."

Team captain Greg Labenski, who makes his home in Dayton, liked taking a behind-the-scenes look at the base.

"It's pretty cool to see everything on the base," said Mr. Labenski, who has played for the Bombers and Gems for six years. "I've been on base quite a few times because my wife works for AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory), but I haven't had a real chance to tour it like this. It will be nice to see a lot of military people come out to the game. A lot of people are displaced and this could be something for them to watch and enjoy."