Norwich University to dedicate an F-16 display to mark 75 years of partnerships with Vermont Air National Guard and Air Force ROTC Detachment 867

NORTHFIELD, Vt. — Norwich University is honored to welcome Col. Adam T. Rice, 158th Fighter Wing vice commander and 1991 Norwich University alumnus, in a private ceremony Oct. 16 to dedicate an F-16 display at Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium
 

This miniature aircraft display will commemorate 75 years of partnerships between the Vermont Air National Guard (ANG), Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFROTC) Detachment 867 and Norwich University.

The ceremony will precede Saturday’s noon football game against Springfield, which may include an F-35 flyover from the Vermont Air National Guard.

The F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighter uses aerodynamic performance and advanced integrated avionics to provide next-generation stealth, enhanced situational awareness and reduced vulnerability for the United States and Allied nations. In 2016, after an extensive review, the US Air Force selected the 158th Fighter Wing (158 FW) to receive the nation’s first operational F-35As in the Air National Guard.

The initial two F-35As arrived in Vermont in fall 2019; a year later, the 158 Fighter WIng reached its full inventory of 20 fighter jets.

On Sept. 17, Rice joined Norwich University Air Force ROTC Det 867 to present an F-16 display, lent by the 158 FW to Norwich University. The miniature version of a combat F-16 painted with a Vermont Air National Guard 75th anniversary patch was placed adjacent to Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium. This display showcases the 158th Fighter Wing’s prestigious history and prowess; the upcoming dedication and enduring F-16 display will reinforce the partnerships between the Vermont Air National Guard, Air Force ROTC program, and Norwich University.

“This F-16 model is a perfect addition to our plaza,” Norwich President Dr. Mark Anarumo said. “The F-16 will join other monuments and displays that demonstrate our storied history of service, and shows yet another link to our nationally-ranked ROTC departments. I am also proud that the display clearly celebrates our longstanding relationship with the 158th Fighter Wing.”

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About Norwich University
Norwich University is a diversified academic institution that educates traditional-age students and adults in a Corps of Cadets and as civilians. Norwich offers a broad selection of traditional and distance-learning programs culminating in Baccalaureate and Graduate Degrees. Norwich University was founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge of the U.S. Army and is the oldest private military college in the United States. Norwich is one of our nation's six senior military colleges and the birthplace of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). www.norwich.edu