445th MOF reservist's murals give lasting impression

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Cassandra D. Bartlett
  • 445th Maintenance Operations Flight
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  If you walk down the hallway in building 4012, 445th Maintenance Group, you will notice the walls come alive with images of the 445th Airlift Wing. The artist who painted the various murals is Master Sgt. Harold Stinnette, 445th Maintenance Operations Flight, who retired Nov. 28.

"I wanted to leave a lasting tribute to the members of the 445th Airlift Wing before I retired so I painted various murals on the walls in building 4012," Sergeant Stinnette said.

Sergeant Stinnette joined the Air Force July 25, 1975. He left active duty in 1991 and joined the Air Force Reserves. He joined the 445th MOF in November of 2006, where he remained for the duration of his military career.

One lasting impression of Sergeant Stinnette's career is his murals. The murals depict various 445th AW Airmen and aircraft in action going back to the wing's inception at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1994. His latest mural, which is his third wall mural in building 4012, features a snippet of the various units displayed as a slide show with the wing shield in the middle and a C-17 Globemaster III flying overhead. The C-17 depicts the latest aircraft to be assigned to the wing.

"Sergeant Stinnette's murals provide a sense of mission accomplishment to those of us who have been with the unit over the years and have a history of working or flying on the numerous aircraft he's depicted. They also provide inspiration to the younger airmen who walk through our halls, by being able to visualize the pride we have in our unit and the missions and journeys that they will soon be a part of. He has left us a lasting legacy which won't be forgotten," Senior Master Sgt. Garry Merrill, 445th MOF, said.

Stacy Vaughn, 445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this story