JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
It's an exciting time to be part of Team Charleston as we just hosted the 2011 Air Expo!
Although confronted with numerous challenges that no Air Expo faced before, Joint Base Charleston rose to the occasion and successfully displayed the professionalism and courtesy of the 437th Airlift Wing, the 628th Air Base Wing, the 315th Airlift Wing and Naval Weapons Station Charleston. A crowd of nearly 80,000 stood breathless during the opening ceremony to the voice of Master Sgt. Jayson Johnson singing the National Anthem. While he sang, the U.S. Army Black Daggers presented the American flag from one of our own C-17s while Greg Poe and the GEICO Skytypers circled overhead exposing a message which read, "Welcome to the 2011 Air Expo at Charleston."
This grand start of the Expo truly set the tone for what turned out to be an astonishing and remarkable event. The excitement continued throughout the day, with one of the highlights being 45 minutes of Tora! Tora! Tora!, a World War II reenactment presented by the Dixie Wing of the Commemorative Air Force accompanied by full pyrotechnics.
Not only were there amazing events taking place in the sky, but there were also dozens of static displays present for attendees to enjoy. This extraordinary Expo culminated with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds roaring over the Lowcountry once again during their precision aerial performance.
I would like to express my appreciation to the 628th Security Forces Squadron for their superb coordination with the City of North Charleston and Charleston County law enforcement in making it possible to overcome many of the traffic difficulties we faced in the past. I would also like to thank our commercial sponsors who, through the 628th Force Support Squadron, made many of the acts possible. Finally, the event would not have been such a huge success without the 2011 Air Expo Committee led by Maj. Scott Suazo and Maj. Adam Tufts, whose tireless efforts combined the resources of the three Wings and the Naval Weapons Station. Together they rallied more than 1,200 volunteers to present an Air Expo which was surely one to remember, both for our Joint Base Charleston family and the community of greater Charleston.
In addition to showcasing the talent of the world's most powerful and respected Air Force and Navy, you all represented the entire Nation as you exercised professionalism, hard work and dedication to the mission as we showed everyone what Team Charleston is really all about. This weekend's Air Expo 2011 served as an opportunity to further enhance the already solid relationship between Joint Base Charleston personnel and the Charleston community. Every one of you played a role in making this year's Air Expo one of the best Charleston has ever seen - thank you!