Honor. Prestige. Service. Hero. These are some common words to describe the men and women who enlist to serve our great country. A.R.E. has to look no further than within its own walls to find many examples of these heroes. At last count, there were 83 U.S. Veterans working in the company. One of those Veterans is Kevin McGovern. Kevin is a Materials Handler at A.R.E.’s Mt. Eaton, Ohio plant. He has been with the company and in that position since his hire date, June 21st, 2000. This month Kevin will receive his A.R.E. Service Award for 10 years with the company, but his family might have to accept the honor on his behalf. This is because Air Force Reserve Tech. Sgt. Kevin McGovern has been called to duty.
While his mission will not place him directly in the battle, he has a very important role. Kevin has been named the Transportation Officer for the Air Force’s premier entertaining group The Tops in Blue. Kevin will be traveling with the group helping transport all the gear necessary to put on these shows. However, don’t think he will be doing just the behind the scenes work. Kevin will fill in as necessary as a performer with the group, “I had to sing and dance as part of the audition.”
The Tops in Blue is a highly selective group of active Air Force members who tour the country for 12 months performing at many military bases. Traveling from show to show can be a very difficult process considering the 65,000 pounds of gear that goes along with the crew. That is where Kevin will come in. He will be in charge of making sure all the equipment makes it on one of the two semis or a motor coach after every show.
Kevin has been placed on leave from A.R.E. and will resume his duties as a Materials Handler when he returns from his one-year stint in his new role.
Everyone at A.R.E. wishes Kevin and The Tops in Blue the best of luck with the upcoming tour, and we cannot wait until Kevin returns with pictures and stories of life on the road!
