Members of the 62nd Airlift Wing command staff traveled to Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, to tour Basic Military Training Jan. 11-12.

The visit gave Col. Rebecca Sonkiss, 62nd AW commander, Chief Master Sgt. Jeffery Sandusky, 62nd AW command chief, and commanders from maintenance, aircraft maintenance, operations group, operations support, medical, 7th, 8th and 4th airlift squadrons, comptroller and safety, many of whom had never experienced BMT, the opportunity to see the training that enlisted airmen go through to transition from civilian to airman.

"It's important for commanders to see where our enlisted airmen start their military career," said Chief Master Sgt. Jeffery Sandusky, 62nd AW command chief. "We need to know where they're coming from so we can continue their training."

Included in the visit were tours of a training dorm, a dining facility, and the Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills Training site.

"BEAST is the week that trainees apply the things they've been learning during BMT to a deployed environment," said Tech. Sgt. Roslyn Evans, 319th Training Squadron BEAST instructor.

The command staff also attended the coin ceremony and graduation parade of the graduating week's airmen. Col. Rebecca Sonkiss was the reviewing official for the parade.

"The coin ceremony is the defining moment when the trainees become airmen," said Master Sgt. Mike Crawford, a master military training instructor with the 737th Training Group.

The graduation parade is a drill demonstration of the precision and discipline that the graduates have learned during their training. During this time, airmen recite the Oath of Enlistment and the Airman's Creed.

"It was amazing to see so many airmen who have volunteered to serve our country," said Sonkiss. "These new airmen are the future of our Air Force."