Company Grade Officers Council prepares for 2011 events

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Tori Lalich
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The Company Grade Officers Council began for the year and will be meeting weekly at various locations around Barksdale to plan and prepare for 2011 events.

The council is comprised of officers ranging from second lieutenants to captains, across all career fields, who want to actively support the base, improve relationships with the local community and promote professional development among the base's junior officers.

The council president, 1st Lt. Ben Meighan, promised that Barksdale can expect great things from their CGOs this year.

"Our big activities are Oktoberfest and Operation Bright Christmas," he said. "But this year, we plan to be much more involved. We want to work closely with Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets from state colleges and have activities that help connect the base and the community. We also want to have events that focus on our Airmen."

Another area the council plans to focus on is providing more networking opportunities for the junior officers on base, he said.

According to Article Four of the CGO Charter, all military members assigned to Barksdale regardless of branch of service, within 0-1 to 0-3 grades, are members of the Company Grade Officer Council.

"The difference between being a member and being involved is who shows up to the meetings and helps out. We have events and activities that will suit every person and meet every interest. This is about networking and helping out the base and surrounding community," said Lieutenant Meighan.
Several council members are already preparing for educational trips to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and to Louisiana Technical University in Ruston to meet with cadets and others interested in the military.

"We, as CGOs, have an opportunity in the military not everyone else has," he said. "We have an outside perspective, being fairly new to the military, and yet we are looked up to and respected by our Airmen. What we do with that respect and rank is in our hands. We can use it to do good around us, around Barksdale, or we can let it go stagnant and do nothing."

The CGO Council's first formal fundraising event of the year will be at the Defenders of Liberty Air Show May 7-8. Council members and volunteers will be working at booths to serve food and drinks to the air show audience.

Anyone interested in participating and volunteering with the CGO Council should e-mail Lieutenant Meighan at benjamin.meighan@barksdale.af.mil or call 456-6049.