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OKLAHOMA CITY --

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, director, Air National Guard, visited the 137th Special Operations Wing, Oklahoma National Guard, on April 14, 2022, at the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City.

Loh familiarized himself with the 137th SOW’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission through an MC-12W mission-orientation flight and engaged directly with Airmen who have made the wing into an international center of excellence.

The visit began with an aircrew brief before stepping onto an MC-12W primed to simulate a real-life mission. Currently, the 137th SOW is the only U.S. Air Force unit with the MC-12W, a medium-to-low altitude, twin-engine turboprop aircraft whose primary mission is to provide ISR support directly to ground forces.

“Today [the 137th SOW] simulated going after a high-value asset,” said Loh. “We had different role players in that. But, the crew onboard the aircraft was stressed just like they would be overseas - multiple radios coming in, traffic in and out of the aircraft, as well as multiple players in the stack, simulating an MQ-9, simulating an F-16, simulating A-10s.”

The ability to seamlessly integrate all of these components in an electronic environment provides significant training value in interoperability and demonstrates the mission capabilities of the 137th SOW.

As a manned ISR, combat air support, and aeromedical evacuation force provider, the 137th SOW supports global exercises and operations to meet the demands of combatant commanders and Oklahoma’s governor. However, the 137th SOW’s status as an international center of excellence stems from its extensive training programs focused on manned ISR, air-to-ground integration, and foreign engagements.

“The ability to translate the combatant commander's intent … into actual training and opportunities, I think will be huge in the future,” said Loh. “For the National Guard, it's reaching across state lines and the State Partnership Program for the international piece. So [the 137th SOW does] a really nice job on that integration of the joint terminal attack controller, the training, the schoolhouse, and now leveraging the state partnership program, not just with [Azerbaijan] here, but also with other areas and other states to do that.”

In this past year, the 137th Combat Training Flight hosted students from seven NATO allied nations, including Estonia, Germany, Slovenia, Latvia, Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic and Italy, for its JTAC qualification course, one of only two taught in Air Force schoolhouses. The 137th Special Operations Group manned ISR fundamentals course also hosted participants from Canada. In addition, Oklahoma’s SPP partner country, Azerbaijan participated in a medical knowledge exchange at the Oklahoma National Guard Regional Training Institute in Oklahoma City.

In early February 2022, the 137th CTF blended the diverse skills of 137th SOW Airmen in a Mission Sustainment Team training, which taught 33 students land navigation, radio communication, and radio programming skills. Incorporating JTAC instructors’ skill sets with those brought by Airmen from various units will ensure these multi-capable MST Airmen are equipped to operate in diverse deployed environments. The training ensures long-term mission sustainment in austere locations and strengthens partnerships across a variety of specialties.

It comes as no surprise that the Airmen of the 137th SOW are leading examples of partnerships within the Department of Defense. In a highly-developed urban area, such as Oklahoma City, partnerships with industries and local communities are key to maintaining urban airspace. Building and strengthening those critical partnerships is something the National Guard does better than anyone and it starts with the investment in its people, said Loh.

“I think the most important thing that we can do as Guardsmen is give back to our community,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Christopher Gries, commander, 137th SOW. “It's that investment in our kids, it's an investment in our businesses, and it's an investment in the people that actually work with us. Building a good-quality Airman -- based on integrity, based on excellence in everything that we do, based on our core values -- I think is what really gives back to our community because we're examples to our neighbors.”

Whether the mission takes them across the globe or within their own communities, members of the 137th SOW represent Oklahoma wherever they go.

“The Oklahoma Standard is all about caring about our neighbors, and I think that rubs off in everything that we do,” said Gries. “Every time I put somebody from the OKANG anywhere in the world, we do it right … Air Force Special Operations Command looks at us as the lead unit, and it's not because of the leadership ... it's because of the Airmen, it's because of the people and it's everything that Oklahoma brings to the fight and I think that's what's making us make a huge impact worldwide.”

This standard of professionalism was evident throughout Loh’s visit with the Airmen who have helped make the 137th SOW into an international center of excellence. It’s the 137th SOW’s dedication to the mission that makes them stand apart in their contribution to the current fight as a force provider of manned ISR, combat air support, and aeromedical evacuation.

Country music powerhouse Luke Combs is embarking on his Middle of Somewhere Tour this fall. The “Tomorrow Me” singer broke the news on social media and revealed that his good friend Jordan Davis would serve as direct support. Specific dates will be divvied up among breakout stars Mitchell Tenpenny, Morgan Wade, and Lainey Wilson.

Combs will jump-start his fall trek on September 2 in Bangor, Maine, following his summer stadium tour and festival appearances. The hitmaker is set to play two consecutive nights in each location and will visit the Green Bay’s Resch Center, Albany’s MVP Arena, Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center, Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center, and more.

With ticket prices skyrocketing due to the pandemic, the hitmaker is offering pre-inflation rates. The singer hopes that the affordable tickets will allow devoted fans to see him in person.

“I know that the price of everything has been going up these last couple years, and there’s nothing I can do about that, but the one thing I could do is set the price of my tickets,” he shared. “So, what I wanted to do was keep the ticket prices the same as they were before the pandemic. I really, really hope you guys will come out and check us out. Can’t wait to see you on the road!”

Pre-sale starts Wednesday, May 4 at 4 p.m. local time through Ticketmaster Verified Fan. However, official fan club members [The Bootleggers] will have early access to tickets at 9 a.m., and Citi cardmembers will have access beginning Thursday, May 5, at 10 a.m. The general public can snag their seats starting Friday, May 6 at 10 a.m.

Combs and T-Mobile have joined forces to bring customers exclusive access to lower bowl tickets at stops nationwide. T-Mobile users will have the chance to purchase reserved tickets 30 days before each show, even at sold-out venues at first-day prices.

The tour announcement does not come as a surprise, as the multi-platinum artist recently took to Instagram to share a cover of Jordan Davis’ smash hit “Buy Dirt.” The remarkable rendition raked in 240K likes and over 2K comments on Instagram alone.

“Damn, I thought I sang this one pretty good…You crushed this buddy, thank ya,” said Davis under the video. “This song is so good,” gushed fast-rising artist Hailey Whitters.

Tour rumors began to swirl when Davis tackled chart-topping track, “Doin’ This” by Combs shortly after. The cover instantly received praise from Combs, Kane Brown, Drew Parker, and NFL athlete Blake Ferguson.

Going into the Middle of Somewhere Tour, Combs is set to perform hits from his forthcoming third studio album “Growin’ Up,” which will drop on June 24.

“I’ve been working on this album on and off for two and a half years now. It was sort of a crazy process through what COVID brought, and what that meant for our touring life last year,” shared Combs. “It made me have to put a pause on this album for a second, but I’m just really stoked that it’s finally coming out. Working with Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton as a producer has been really great, and I think that the fans are going to love these songs. I’m just excited to get them out and see what they think,” he concluded.

LUKE COMBS CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

BOLD on-sale next Friday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m. local time May 1—Indio, CA—Stagecoach May 5—New Orleans, LA—New Orleans JazzFest May 21—Denver, CO—Empower Field at Mile High* (SOLD OUT) May 29—Napa Valley, CA—BottleRock June 4—Seattle, WA—Lumen Field* July 7—Cavendish, PEI—Cavendish Beach Music Festival July 8—Quebec City, QC—Festival D’Ete International De Quebec July 9—Ottawa, ON—RBC Bluesfest July 23—Columbus, OH—Buckeye Country Superfest July 30—Atlanta, GA—Mercedes-Benz Stadium* (SOLD OUT) September 2—Bangor, ME—Maine Savings Amphitheater‡ September 3—Bangor, ME—Maine Savings Amphitheater‡ September 16—Green Bay, WI—Resch Center+ September 17—Green Bay, WI—Resch Center+ September 22—Lake Tahoe, NV—Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys+ September 23—Lake Tahoe, NV—Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys+ September 30—Albany, NY—MVP Arena+ October 1—Albany, NY—MVP Arena+ October 14—Charleston, SC—North Charleston Coliseum^ October 15—Charleston, SC—North Charleston Coliseum^ October 21—Louisville, KY—KFC Yum! Center^ (on-sale 5/13 at 10:00 a.m. local) October 22—Louisville, KY—KFC Yum! Center^ (on-sale 5/13 at 10:00 a.m. local) October 28—Omaha, NE—CHI Health Center^ October 29—Omaha, NE—CHI Health Center^ November 4—Uncasville, CT—Mohegan Sun Arena^ November 5—Uncasville, CT—Mohegan Sun Arena^ November 12—Quebec City, QC—Videotron Centre# (SOLD OUT) November 14—Toronto, ON—Scotiabank Arena# (SOLD OUT) November 15—Toronto, ON—Scotiabank Arena# (SOLD OUT) November 17—Ottawa, ON—Canadian Tire Centre# (SOLD OUT) November 18—Montreal, QC—Centre Bell# (SOLD OUT) November 21—London, ON—Budweiser Gardens# (SOLD OUT) November 22—London, ON—Budweiser Gardens# (SOLD OUT) December 9—Oklahoma City, OK—Paycom Center% December 10—Oklahoma City, OK—Paycom Center%

*with special guests Cody Johnson, Zach Bryan and Morgan Wade ‡with special guests Mitchell Tenpenny and Morgan Wade +with special guests Jordan Davis and Morgan Wade ^with special guests Jordan Davis and Lainey Wilson #with special guests Riley Green and Chayce Beckham %with special guest Jordan Davis and more to be announced

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

Today: a graduate service assistant who makes $16,000 a year and spends some of her money this week on Mug Buddies.

Occupation: Graduate Service Assistant Industry: Higher Education Age: 30 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Salary: $9,000 stipend/semester (this is my last semester, so I’ll only receive one stipend payment this year), plus $7,000 from contract work Net Worth: ~-$30,000 (I have $12,833.39 in savings, $1,776.90 in my HSA from a previous employer, and $5,200.64 in retirement savings, minus debt. My partner and I split bills proportionally based on our income but keep our finances and bank accounts separate.) Debt: $50,000 (student loans) Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $968 Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses Rent: $500 Utilities: $150 Stock & Retirement Contributions: $40 Pimsleur Language App: $14.95 Hulu: $1.99 Apple Music/iCloud/TV+: $5.98 Car Insurance: $44.54 Phone Bill: $119.14 Tummee (Yoga Planning Software): $8.95 Goddess Provisions Box: $33

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Yes, but only because I expected that of myself. My family knew that going to school was my dream, so they didn’t see any possible future where I didn’t get my bachelor’s at the very least. I took out loans for my undergrad, which were lightened because my paternal grandfather created a college fund for me when I was born, so I used that ($10,000) for my first semester expenses. I fully expected to pay off the loans but did not end up doing so due to a very generous offer from a family friend who wanted to pay them for me (when this was offered, I quite literally cried). I took out loans to pay for my master’s, which I am very close to finishing. Based on my academic performance and CV, I expect that I will not have to pay much if I do choose to pursue a PhD. I am the second person in my family to obtain a BA and will be the first person in my family to obtain an MA.

Legislation designating Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma as the state’s official theatre has been signed into law by Governor Kevin Stitt.

Senate Bill 1385, the bipartisan measure bestowing the honor, was coauthored by Senate Democratic Leader Kay Floyd and House Majority Leader Jon Echols and takes effect Nov. 1, 2022.

Founded in 1963, Lyric is often described as "Oklahoma’s flagship theatre," annually serving over 100,000 people statewide, and is the state’s largest live theatre company, producing classic and contemporary plays and musicals on two stages, including the historic 278-seat Plaza Theatre and the 2,400-seat Civic Center Music Hall.

Acclaimed Broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth, Kelli O’Hara, Megan Mullaly, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, and many others have performed in Lyric productions.

“Lyric Theatre is an essential part of this state’s cultural identity, and as a premier theatre company, enhances economic development efforts as well,” said Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, in a press release sent to The Oklahoma City Sentineland other news organizations.

“Although based in Oklahoma City, Lyric productions attract audiences from 305 Oklahoma cities and towns, all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada. I want to thank my House author, Majority Leader Echols, members of both chambers, and Governor Kevin Stitt for their support of Lyric’s well-deserved designation as our state’s official theatre.”

Lyric’s leadership has been awarded three Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Awards and the national Helen Hayes Award.

Lyric Theatre’s production of “Oklahoma!” was proclaimed the official state production in 2015. Lyric Theatre’s Musical Interactive touring program travels to schools across the entire state performing live for over 45,000 students each year. The program is fully funded by donors and provided to all Oklahoma schools entirely free of charge.

“Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma has contributed a great deal to the history of our city and state over its almost 60 year existence,” said Echols, R-Oklahoma City.

“Many talented Oklahomans have gotten their start at Lyric, and their work in the community cannot be overstated. From humble beginnings, Lyric Theatre has become Oklahoma’s leading professional theatre, and I am proud of the role I was able to play in recognizing them as the official theatre of Oklahoma.”

H.B. 1385 passed unanimously in the upper chamber, with every Senator present. It cleared the house 89-0, with 11 members excused.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Parents across Oklahoma are scrambling to find the baby formula they need to feed their infants, while government officials in Washington work to correct the shortage gripping the nation.

“Parents need to understand it’s OK to be upset or worried by this,” said OSU Extension Dietician Jenni Klufa. “Feeding your child is a main goal in parenting.”

Store shelves that once held baby formula are now bare. Supply chains, that were already disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, are stretched thin after formula producer, Abbott, shut down it’s factory amid a recall.

“Until the plant is up and running fully again, that is where another part of the supply has fallen short,” said Klufa.

Klufa said she’s seen and heard parents are trying hopeful fixes she said could be dangerous for babies, like making DIY formula at home.

“There’s a reason why formula is made at factories with scientists, because it is very specific,” she said. “There’s a risk of contaminating that formula even if parents are super careful. Babies’ immune systems aren’t developed well enough that if they contract something from that kitchen, from making that formula, they could get very sick.”

The dietician also said infants under 12-months also need a certain number of calories per ounce. That’s one reason why animal milk will not do the job.

“It doesn’t have what we call essential nutrients or vitamins and minerals that those babies depend on,” said Klufa. “We need a very specific amount of calories per ounce, and that’s science coming in. So we want to leave that up to the professionals.”

Klufa said if you’re in need of formula, you can dial 211 to call your local United Way resource. If you’re participating in WIC, call the nearest office.

“There are WIC waivers in place where parents, even though they have a WIC benefit for a certain type of formula, they may be allowed to get a different type,” said Klufa.

Klufa wants parents to stay on top of their formula supply by about five days so they don’t end up in a bind.

“But if you do end up in emergency situation, another person to call would be your pediatrician. Hopefully they still have samples in stock which won’t get you very far but it’ll get you through a night,” she said.

She also wants to remind parents that they’re not alone in this crisis.

“All parents are going through this, and I do believe a lot of the stores are limiting the amount of formula you can purchase,” she said. “It is truly to get you through the next couple of weeks until all these factories are running like they should be again.”

The Department of Health and Human Services is constantly updating their fact sheet, because the situation is changing by the hour.

To access the fact sheet, click here.