Oct. 13, 2022
Lakewood Deputy Mayor Mary Moss has a new title to add to her list: Honorary Commander of the 62nd Airlift Wing.
Moss was bestowed this honor at a ceremony on Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Sept. 29, 2022.
“The military took care of me when I was a dependent,” Moss said of her time as a military spouse. “They were so good to me and willing to help me, so for me it’s a special honor and an appreciation that they put that trust in me to help tell their story. This gives me an opportunity to again communicate to our community the benefits and supports we get from our military.”
The 62nd Airlift Wing is the active duty host wing stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM).
In a piece announcing the 2022-2024 Honorary Commander recipients, U.S. Air Force Col, David Fazenbaker, commander of the 62d Airlift Wing said:
“We are lucky to live in an amazing community here in the Pacific Northwest, a community as diverse as our Air Force. We have a diverse group of honorary commanders from various parts of this community, and I look forward to the partnerships we will build with each other.”
The Honorary Commander Program provides a platform to inform and educate about Department of Defense missions and develop supportive relationships with the community. Moss will be paired with a commander to learn more about the 62nd Airlift Wing. She will have opportunities to visit McChord Field, learn about missions, participate in base functions and discuss issues of mutual concern.
Moss will then be able to share these experiences with her connections as an elected official and city leader to help bridge the gap between the military and community.
Being named an honorary commander is not new for Moss. She previously served in this capacity for different groups in the Air Force beginning in 2004 until her last appointment in 2016 with the 627th Airbase Group.
Despite holding the title before, Moss noted each invitation to serve as a civilian liaison to the military is an honor.
“As a civilian I saw the Air Force finished product, I had no clue what it took to get it to that point,” Moss said. “It’s a great educational program to have the community understand what they do to protect us.”