Ninth Air Force to host civic leader forum Published Sept. 23, 2014 By 020914 SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Civic leaders from Ninth Air Force wings across the Southeastern United States are scheduled to gather here Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2014, for a Ninth Air Force Civic Leader Forum.The forum is designed to help the attendees gain a better understanding of Airmen's operational missions and to provide civic leaders with an opportunity to share best practices in supporting military members and their families.This is the second such forum hosted by the Ninth Air Force. The first forum was held at Shaw in August 2012."Our civic leaders play a vital role in the health of our base communities," said Maj. Gen. H.D. Polumbo Jr., Ninth Air Force commander. "It's essential that we continue to strengthen our partnerships and come together to share our successes and challenges in an effort to direct our focus towards our shared goal of taking care of our Airmen and their families."Attendees will convene to share their experience in the areas of commerce, education and government affairs, while cultivating key civic-military relationships. Attendees are tentatively expected from all eight of Ninth Air Force's active-duty wings."This forum provides a great opportunity for the civic leaders to not only see our current military mission and fiscal challenges but also share their own plans to support their local Airmen and base," Polumbo added.Ninth Air Force's active-duty wings include the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.; the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB, S.C., the 23rd Wing and 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing at Moody AFB, Ga., the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall AFB, Fla., the 461st Air Control Wing at Robins AFB, Ga., and the 633rd Air Base Wing and 1st Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.Each wing has selected civic leaders to attend the forum based on the individuals' involvement in the community and interaction with the base.