The Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport at Forney Field in Missouri has become a critical transportation hub for service members coming to and going from nearby Fort Leonard Wood, GUIDON reported.
Soldiers who have completed training at Fort Leonard Wood, for example, have used the airport to safely travel to other Army installations such as Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort Bragg, N.C., Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Fort Sill, Okla. and Fort Campbell, Ky.
The Navy used the airport to transport some sailors without forcing them to go through international airports where they could have exposure to the coronavirus.
“The Forney Airfield provides a crucial direct-access point to the job training that their sailors must have as a part of their service,” said Bryan Rush, a Fort Leonard Wood air traffic controller and alternate airspace officer. “This makes the airport vital to not only the Fort Leonard Wood mission, but national efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Air Force recently sent 70 airmen to Fort Leonard Wood from basic training in San Antonio, Texas. They boarded sanitized buses for the remainder of the travel.
“The airfield employees are proud to do their part in providing vital support to the multi-service community of Fort Leonard Wood,” airport manager Dave Robinson said. “The Forney Army Airfield is a vital training multiplier and ensures qualified service members can meet their training objectives, no matter what hardships maybe present today or in the future.”
GUIDON photo by Dawn Arden
