SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Airmen from the 419th Fighter Wing and 388th Fighter Wing represented Utah’s “hometown heroes” during a press conference at Salt Lake Comic Con Sept. 21.

Lt. Col. Mathew Miller, 419th Operations Support Flight commander, gave a brief overview of the fighter wings and introduced Salt Lake Comic Con co-founders, Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg.

The three-day event draws more than 100,000 attendees to the Salt Palace Convention Center each year. More than 200 Airmen from Hill Air Force Base used their own time to volunteer at the convention, providing tech help and security detail.

“We really appreciate the opportunity to work with Hill Air Force Base,” Farr said. “Our reputation as a convention has increased because of the class of volunteers we have.”

The cofounders recently accepted invitations to serve as honorary commanders to the 388th Operations Support Squadron and 419th OSF respectively. The honorary commander program is an Air Force initiative that seeks to tell the Air Force story by pairing military leaders with community partners.

“We love the relationship we have with the Air Force,” Brandenburg said. “It has special meaning to me, having served in the Air Force in 1976 through 1980, and I love that I have come full circle and been able to participate with these young men.”