By Jeff Murphy,
May 5, 2017
WARRENSBURG, MO – Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets IV, commander of the 509th Bomb Wing,
Whiteman Air Force Base, will present the keynote address at the annual Pre-Memorial
Day Ceremony at the University of Central Missouri. The event takes place at noon
Wednesday, May 24, on the lawn near the Alumni Memorial Chapel, and is free and open
to everyone. In case of rain the festivities will be moved inside the chapel.
Joining Tibbets as participants in the event will be a color guard from Whiteman Air
Force Base; the singing of the National Anthem by UCM alumna Candace Fowler; presentation
of the POW/MIA Missing Man Table led by 1st Sgt. Jamil Goodwin, 509th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron, Whiteman AFB; welcome by Deborah Curtis, UCM provost-chief learning officer,
who also will lay a wreath with Tibbets; 21-gun salute performed by members of the
Warrensburg American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts; and the playing of
TAPS by David Aaberg, professor of music at UCM.
Receiving his commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1989, Tibbets has risen
through the military ranks to become responsible for the combat readiness of the U.S.
Air Force’s Spirit wing, including development and employment of the B-2’s combat
capability as part of the Air Force’s Global Strike Task Force. His command provides
logistics support for the Air Force Reserve 442nd Fighter Wing, Missouri Air National
Guard 131st Bomb Wing, Air Combat Command 20th Reconnaissance Squadron and the Missouri
Army National Guard 1st Battalion, 135th Aviation Unit. He manages flying assets in
excess of $46 billion and an annual operations and maintenance budget of $147 million.
Also during his career, Tibbets served on a variety of operational assignments as
a B-1 and a B-2 pilot, including flying in combat missions in support of operations
in Southwest Asia, the Balkans and Afghanistan. He has logged more than 3,800 flying
hours as a command pilot.
Individuals who have questions about the pre-Memorial Day observance may contact Carrie-Ann
Garlett, assistant director of Military and Veteran Services at UCM, 660-543-8452
or garlett@ucmo.edu.
