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64th Air Expeditionary Group holds AF Ball

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jeffery Prish
  • 64th Expeditionary Support Squadron
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 64th Air Expeditionary Group along with the U.S. Central Command U.S. Military Training Mission hosted an annual Air Force Ball celebrating the service's 66th birthday and accomplishments here Sept. 20.

More than 200 members from the 64th AEG and the U.S. Embassy here attended this night of celebration. This year's theme was "A Tribute to Heroes," honoring Col. George "Bud" Day and Maj. Gen. Frederick Blesse who passed away this year.

These great warriors combined more than 50 years of military service serving in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Day was held as a prisoner of war for 67 months while Blesse flew 154 combat missions over North Vietnam and Laos.

The Air Force Ball is a formal military event celebrating the proud partnership, promoting personal interaction and esprit de corps. The tradition began Sept. 18, 1947, when the Air Force was officially established as a separate military service. This event is an excellent way for the Air Force to showcase its pride with our sister services and civilian counterparts.

Organizing an event of this magnitude in a deployed environment was no easy task. Fifteen committees and more than 40 volunteers worked until minutes before the event for everything to go off without a hitch. For two and half months, Airmen planned everything from venue setup to ensuring a gift for every ticket holder. In addition, members had to coordinate with the embassy staff and protocol to ensure nothing went unchecked.

Having a strong partnership with our Department of State brothers and sisters enabled what seemed like the impossible. With travel restrictions frequently in place, mission partners were able to use internal resources otherwise unattainable in a normal contingency base. This all tied into what the 64 AEG does best in line with its MAP mission statement: Mission Airman Partners!

Guest speaker, Col. Ronald L. Perrilloux Jr., shared words of wisdom as he highlighted his career as a B-52 Stratofortress pilot and T-38A Talon instructor. Perrilloux serves at the U.S. Air Attaché to the host nation where he is the key air power advisor to the embassy. He undertook this role in 2011 and is set to retire early next year.

"Tonight we honor two heroes who, unfortunately, have flown west this year," said Maj. Gen. Thomas Harwood, CENTCOM U.S. Military Training Mission chief, summing up the evening. "In their tribute tonight we hope you remember their great accomplishments and how they lived the Air Force Core Values."

In the end, the 64th AEG showed no task is too big for these combat ready Airmen. Whether it is "Fighting the Base" or hosting an Air Force Ball, the men and women of this unit showed their pride for the youngest military branch in the Department of the Defense.