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Lt. Col. Rob Skelton talked about the economic impact that Columbus Air Force Base has on the entire region, including Monroe County.
Skelton is in charge of the base's Wings Over Columbus 2010 Air Show and Open House which is set for May 15-16. The free show entitled "Aviation Excellence Meets Southern Hospitality" will feature not only the flying Thunderbirds, but also the U.S. Army Golden Knights which are a parachute jump team, a demonstration of the C-17 Airlift plane and acrobatic shows. Among the featured air events are the Tora, Tora, Tora - WW II Heritage fliers, a group of retired airmen who fly World War II era planes and do a reenactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor, complete with ground pyrotechnics.
There will also be other vintage planes on hand, including a T-33 Korean era plane and a MiG-21 Vietnam era plane.
Besides the flying aircraft, there will be several types of military aircraft on ground display. Other ground exhibits will include Army and Air Force recruiting displays, a boating safety display, Kids Zone and a display from the National Weather Service.
There will be food and beverages available for purchase. Do not bring coolers, pets or backpacks.
This is the first air show the base has hosted since 2006.
Visitors can enter the air base from the main gate from Hwy. 45 with gates opening at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. All aviation acts will perform both days.
Besides all of the special performances, Skelton said visitors will get to see what it is like on the pilot training base that is home to about 400 to 500 pilots in training. The purpose of the air show is to say thank you to the communities in the region that support the base and its families and to maybe also inspire the next generation of airmen or soldiers or other military.
The public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs and to make a day of it.
I love Ferraris, but I can't afford one, so I drive a Ford. I love Ducatis, but I can't afford one, so I ride a Kawasaki.
And I love air shows. But I can do without them when we are engaged in multiple conflicts and are borrowing 50 cents of every dollar it spends.
Additionally, the costs of flying the planes aren't the only costs associated with hosting an open house. I've served on bases that have held open houses/air shows and there's a lot of additional costs associated with them that can't be argued, no matter how feebly, as "training."
When we have a balanced budget and our troops aren't fighting multiple conflicts without the equipment that they need, then let's have air shows.
But until then, our government and our military needs to watch their spending and spend only on essential things.
And I don't need to see the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels to appreciate what I'm "getting for my money". When it comes to the military, I remember the sacrifices that I and thousands of others and their families have made for their country, some making the ultimate sacrifice, for little pay and very little appreciation (back before 9/11) and I see what I'm getting for my current tax dollars nearly every night when I see things about their service on TV. I don't need to see the Thunderbirds to appreciate the military.
I would much rather see my tax dollars spent on things like additional "up armored" vehicles or better flak vests for our troops on the ground who spend every day in harms way instead of on an
air show.
But that's just me. Perhaps others need this "display" to feel good about our military and the tax dollars spent on it.
I'm well aware of the "training" argument.
But, If you think that it costs the same amount of money to fly and maintain the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels as it does a "regular" fighter squadron, then you're sadly mistaken.
However, I question whether we as a nation can really afford this sort of thing when our government is borrowing around 50 cents of every dollar that it spends?
Military recruitment, particularly Air Force recruitment, doesn't need the help and putting on an expensive air show to "say thank you to the communities in the region", seems to be an unwise expenditure of money that our government just doesn't have in my opinion.