"Hey U.S. We've Got Your Back"

Two weeks ago, one of Elder and Sister McGuire's Pathway students, Victor Santana Ramirez, a colonel and pilot in the Dominican Republic Air Force, invited us and the McGuire's to tour the D.R. Air Force Base and their fleet of fighter planes.

We HAD to jump at this unique and a once in a lifetime opportunity.  With very little security check, we followed behind Colonel Ramirez in our car, through the entrance gates and pulled up to the main storage hangers of the DR's  A29 Super Tucano fleet of eight turbo-prop fighter planes.

These planes look like the old World War II P51 Mustang showing the snarling teeth.  What an exciting and educational experience!  We learned that most of the work of the Air Force is drug traffic patrol and enforcement in the DR air space.

We took turns climbing onto the plane's wing and looking into the cockpit. Impressive what a pilot has to know.  Why was I surprised to see all the writing on the controls was in English?

We also boarded a transport plane in the hanger next door.  Randy sat in the cockpit as Colonel Ramiriz's co-pilot

while Peggy sat in one of the "jump seats" pretending to get ready for her turn.


We took lots of pictures and talked to the maintenance technicians and support the fleet.  Great guys.

Air Force Logo "Fighting Dragons"

We were impressed that we were so close and intimate with their equipment.

We then toured the Dragon Room, (they are the "fighting dragons,") where the elite fighter pilots share their camaraderie.  Victor's plaque

Colonel Victor "Langosta" Santana Ramirez

hung proudly on the wall n the middle of his fellow pilots with his call sign "Langosta" or locust.

We concluded our trip by going to Victor's residence on the base, meeting his family, walking his yard and enjoying time with he and his beautiful family.

By the way, Colonel Ramirez is an excellent student in Pathway.

I got to know him helping him register and answering his questions in the beginning of the Pathway program.  We are proud to know him.




A few days after this writing, Colonel Ramirez retired from the Air Force and took a job with the Church as the head of Security over the Caribbean area.  He is a special man.  It was a great day!  Randy