Air Force Ball celebrates service, heritage Sept. 12 Published Aug. 12, 2009 By Col. Gary Goldstone 375th Airlift Wing Commander SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Tickets go on sale Friday for one of the best events of the year for Team Scott--the annual Air Force Ball! It's going to be one of the best events because there's been an incredible team working hard behind the scenes to ensure it's an entertaining evening with great food, music and dancing. The event celebrates the 62nd birthday of the Air Force, officially recognized Sept. 17, 1947, and it marks a time when we can reflect on how far we've come as a service and as a nation. It will also be a chance for us to celebrate our heritage as we look forward to the future. This year we focus on the Year of the Tanker, a theme designated by the Air Mobility Commander, Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, which emphasizes the aircraft's critical role in air power. Tankers make it possible for us--America and our allies--to "fly farther, stay airborne longer and carry more weapons, equipment and supplies." The total force tanker fleet, consisting of active duty crews, Air National Guard and Reserve, fly about 130 sorties on an average day, offloading fuel roughly equivalent to 16 Olympic-sized pools to more than 330 receivers ... that's enabling combat power! General Lichte explained that "without tankers, we'd have to quadruple the number of fighters and other aircraft to sustain operations. Without tankers, a bomber would have at least two en route stops with crew rest and would not arrive over targets until day three at the earliest. Tankers allow us to launch a bomber from the Midwest, and with multiple aerial refuelings, arrive on target half-way around the world that same day." He also emphasized that no other country in the world can consistently do that ... nobody. "Humanitarian and aeromedical evacuation missions also are affected. Without tankers, we lose options because we can't get people, equipment and supplies to their destination in a hurry. Some countries won't let us overfly or land. If you don't have tankers, you can't get wounded troops back rapidly to the U.S.," said the general. This critical enabling force is why it's important the Air Force continue to work toward modernizing the tanker force. We are a long way from the very first aerial refueling that took place June 27, 1923 between two Airco DH-4B biplanes of the Army Air Service. It was performed with a simple hose from a hand-held fuel tank on one aircraft and transferred to the other aircraft's fuel tank. It's important to celebrate these achievements that were based on a lot of great ideas from people working hard to move the Air Force forward in its capabilities. Another group of hard workers have certainly been the team associated with putting the Air Force Ball together. It is vital that we remember our history and heritage, and it's important that we have an opportunity to express our thanks to those Airmen serving on the frontlines, to remember those who didn't make it home, and to renew our friendships as well. There have been many volunteers who've spent countless hours fundraising so we could keep the cost of the tickets down, and I can't say enough about their individual efforts to do that for Team Scott! That's Service Before Self, and it's very much appreciated. This committee has been diligent, and I'm sure the results will be fantastic. We've even taste-tested that evening's menu, and it's delicious. The venue is at our very own Scott Club, which will hold 350 people for this event. My suggestion is to sign up early because the seats will go fast! You will see some e-mail traffic and the link to sign up will be posted on the public Web site soon. Don't miss out on this opportunity to celebrate air power! Remember, our USAF history makes us smart, and our USAF heritage makes us proud!