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Minnesota patriot extends drop zone lease

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Williams
  • 934th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MINNEAPOLIS --  The Air Force Reserve Command unit here will have access to the Jordan Drop Zone for an additional five years as the newest lease agreement was signed Nov. 16.

In an early morning ceremony at the property, the lease was signed by Burdette Stief, the landowner, and Brig. Gen. Richard Severson, assistant vice commander of Air Force Reserve Command. The agreement continues 25-year partnership between Mr. Stief and the Air Force Reserve's 934th Airlift Wing, based at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Air Reserve Station, Minn.

When Mr. Stief bought the property in 1969, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units were already using the land as a drop zone. In November 1981, the Air National Guard backed out and the Air Force Reserve took over as the primary tenant, agreeing to a sum of $10,000 per year. The lease has been renewed four times since the original 1981 agreement, with the new lease valued at $33,600 per year.

"(Mr. Stief) could have done a lot of things with this property, but he chose not to. He's a patriot," Col. Timothy Tarchick, 934th AW commander, said as he began the ceremony. "Thank you on behalf of the 934th Airlift Wing. It's an honor to be part of this."

Mr. Stief is a World War II veteran and served in the Army's 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division from 1943 to 1945, with campaigns in Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe and Ardennes-Alsace. He was in the Battles of Vossenack and Huertgen, and the Battle of the Bulge from December 1944 to January 1945.

"Being in the infantry, I appreciate what the Air Force did because they did a lot," said Mr. Stief. "Many of my buddies are still over there. That's why I don't want to brag about anything. It's not about me." (AFRC News Service)