Donald Kom is featured speaker for Saturday's Veterans Day program in Ames
The City of Ames will honor veterans from all branches of the service and all time periods with a Veterans Day program at 11 a.m. Saturday at the City Auditorium.
The free event is open to the public and will feature keynote speaker Donald Kom, a retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Air Force.
Kom retired from the Air Force Reserves in 2016 after serving 28 years. He's currently employed as the director of the Ames Municipal Electric System.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force after earning his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1987.
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A vital piece for Desert Storm
Kom spent his entire military career assigned to the 934th Airlift Wing based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was a member of the 934th Civil Engineering Squadron for the first 20 years of his service.
“As a reservist, Lt. Col. Kom was sent all over the world building and fixing things,” the Ames Patriotic Council said in a news release. “He participated in Desert Shield/Desert Storm at Prince Sultan Air Base as a Civil Engineering and Disaster Preparedness Officer.”
Some of his most memorable deployments include building one-room clinics and schools in some of Honduras’ poorest communities, repairing buildings in Panama and constructing a secondary landing strip for the Space Shuttle in Spain.
A presidential assignment
Kom led the Wing’s Command Post in 2008 when it served as the president’s secured communication hub during the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.
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He served at various bases during his career. A few of his assignments included being chief of the command post and inspector general.
Kom is a decorated veteran, having earned the rank of lieutenant colonel while serving as squadron commander,
He has also received the Meritorious, Commendation and Achievement medals, with oak leaf clusters, from both the Air Force and the Army.
Honoring local veterans
Saturday’s program will also include an introduction by Ames Patriotic Council President Tim Gartin, and welcome messages from Ames Mayor John Haila and American Legion Post 37 Commander Jay Sisco.
The ROTC Color Guard from Iowa State University will present the colors.
The program will also include musical performances by vocalist Jim DeHoet and the Heart of Iowa Senior Band, led by Don DoBell, with a special appearance by the Ames High School Concert Chorale. Roger Elliott will offer opening and closing prayers.
The program will be archived and livestreamed on the City of Ames’ YouTube channel and the Ames Patriotic Council’s Facebook page and website, amespatrioticcouncil.org.
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames' Veterans Day program enlists former Air Force lieutenant
