Belle-Scott celebrates 60 years of partnership! Published May 12, 2010 By Col. Gary Goldstone 375th Air Mobility Wing Commander SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Today marks the 60th Anniversary of a friendship between the Greater Scott community and Scott Air Force Base! In honor of that friendship, our community partners are paying a special tribute to our service members tonight in an annual gala designed to thank them for their service. More than 100 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen will join with business and community leaders for an evening of music, fine dining and recognition. This follows the tradition set so long ago from a committee whose goal was to foster communication and fellowship between the base and local civic leaders. The committee, known as Belle-Scott, was originally established, in part, due to growing concerns by Scott Airmen who claimed they were treated unfairly by Belleville law enforcement officials and business owners. The committee sought to rectify the situation and today the Belle-Scott Committee continues to work on strengthening community ties with base personnel. The first "GI Pal" dinner was held Nov. 29, 1950 at the Armed Forces Canteen in Belleville. It, too, was a premier gala event and, in following years included nationally known celebrities such as Debbie Reynolds and Vincent Price. The Belle-Scott Committee has provided unconditional support, friendship, and loyalty to Team Scott personnel over the last 6 decades. It's the nation's oldest civic support group to a military installation. As a group they organize and support a variety of programs and initiatives; all of which are targeted at helping Scott's servicemembers and their families. Among the projects the committee has sponsored: n Project Holiday Cheer; the committee as a whole and through its individual members typically raise over $7.5K worth of holiday gifts including toys, gift cards, and monetary donations for Team Scott families. - Annual Enlisted Dinner honors and recognizes Team Scott's Enlisted Corps providing over 100 enlisted members a free meal and genuine recognition for their service. - Annual Fall Family Festival at Eckert's provides a free evening of food and activities for Team Scott families. - Ongoing support to the Belleville Dorm residents; the committee worked with the city of Belleville to host a free day of bowling and food for dorm residents. Last year, working with the Belleville Chamber of Commerce and Belleville city officials, they provided several free meal tickets to their annual Chili Cook Off event, and provided free tickets to area sporting and cultural events. - Ongoing monetary and in kind support to the annual Scott air show. The Belle-Scott Committee is also a key partner of the Scott Field Heritage Air Park Committee. The Committee has been instrumental in developing the project from concept design to reality. The Committee continues to be heavily involved in the completion phases of the project. Besides working as a collective group to better Scott AFB and support its personnel and their families, many of the civilian Belle-Scott Committee members also lend their support through their professional positions and through their community organization memberships (i.e. Rotary Club, Optimists, Zonta, etc.) As we gather this evening, I salute the men and women of the Belle-Scott Committee who've dedicated so many years in fostering a truly rich friendship with Team Scott. I believe it's stronger than ever! My personal thanks is extended to those who devoted their time and effort to make tonight's evening a first-class event! It is also with Armed Forces Day--May 15--in mind that I salute my fellow uniformed brothers and sisters and thank the American public for their steadfast support. Happy Armed Forces Day to all and thanks to all Team Scott personnel for their daily contributions! Air Power!