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Memorial Day can look like cookouts and a long weekend, but the truth underneath it is far more demanding. We invited Colonel Andrew Powers, Commander of the 121st Air Refueling Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard and keynote speaker for Dublin’s Memorial Day Ceremony, to talk about what the day is meant to honor: Americans who died in military service, and the responsibility we carry when we remember them well.

Colonel Powers shares the recent loss of six service members in an aircraft crash, including three airmen from his wing.  We talk about who they were as people, what it means to lead a unit through grief while the mission continues worldwide, and why supporting the families of the fallen must be measured in years, not days. If you’ve ever struggled to put words to military sacrifice, this conversation offers language that feels honest and grounded.

We also go inside the mission many Central Ohio residents may not realize operates right here at Rickenbacker: the KC-135 Stratotanker and the critical role of aerial refueling. From global power projection to humanitarian response, the 121st supports far more than fuel, including aeromedical evacuation, base defense, logistics, and medical readiness. We close with reflections on national resilience as America approaches its 250th birthday and a reminder that freedom is never guaranteed without each generation choosing to protect it.

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