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Desert Lightning News January 8, 2016 7

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D-M strengthens ties with Tucson community

Senior Airman Camilla Elizeu

355 Fighter Wing Public Affairs

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- The 355th Fighter U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz
Wing and 55th Electronic Combat Group leadership signed four memo-
randums of agreements with Tucson officials on Dec. 14. Left to right U.S Air Force Col. Rodger Schuld, 355th Mission Support Group commander, Katie
Landwehr, Southern Arizona Veteran’s Affairs Healthcare System assistant director, Mayor Jon-
The agreements are intended to increase education, foreign language athan Rothschild, the City of Tucson, Col. James Meger, 355th Fighter Wing commander, Ann
and communication collaborations between the base and the local com- Weaver Hart, University of Arizona president, Sharon Bronson, Pima County Board of Supervisors
munity. chairperson, sign the steering committee memorandum of understanding at Davis-Monthan
Air Force Base, Ariz., Dec. 14, 2015. The 355th FW and 55th Electronic Combat Group leadership
The Educational Partnership agreements will establish on-base intern- signed four agreements with local officials to increase the collaboration between the base and
ship opportunities for students of the University of Arizona and Pima the local community.
Community College.
cal community in the event of a significant emergency requiring joint re-
“This optimizes resources, it is not only the money integration, it is the sponse.
intellectual capital,” Col James Meger, the 355 Fighter Wing commander
said. “When I look at University of Arizona, when I look at Pima Com- “This is really important,” Meger said “It is the integration of the partner-
munity College, bringing that intellectual capital in and continuing to grow ship between the community and the military.”
and expand my Airmen and students’ pool together, it is perfect.”

The 55th Electronic Combat Group and the University of Arizona signed
a Foreign Language Skills Partnership that will improve and maintain an
existing foreign language skills project and mentor foreign language stu-
dents with the University of Arizona.

“Pima County and Tucson has, for many years, developed a very sophis-
ticated system of communication,” said Mayor Jonathan Rothchild, City of
Tucson. “Today we made an agreement to bring Davis-Monthan into that
system.”

The Emergency Response Communication Interoperability Partnership
will increase communication between first responders from D-M and lo-