Team Aviano celebrates 67th Air Force birthday

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Michael Battles
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  In honor of the 67th Air Force birthday, more than 350 U.S. service members, local nationals and family members came together Sept. 26 to celebrate the 2014 Air Force Ball at Castel Brando.

The ball, which is held each year in September, is in recognition of the U.S. Air Force separating from the U.S. Army and becoming an individual branch of the Armed Forces on Sept. 18, 1947. The theme of this year's ball was "Celebrating the Past ... Serving the Future." 

"Celebrating a birthday is about remembering where we came from and the lessons learned from our past, but it is also looking forward to new opportunities that come with growing older," said 1st Lt. Albert Hatchett, Air Force Ball coordinator. "In short, we wanted to celebrate our previous accomplishments while serving the newer generation with current and future innovations." 

To kick off the evening's events, Brig. Gen. Barre Seguin, 31st Fighter Wing commander, addressed attendees and gave a brief overview of the Air Force's impact on history. Throughout the event, members of Team Aviano paid respect to past service members during a Prisoner of War/Missing in Action ceremony, toasted U.S. and Italian leadership and celebrated with a formal dinner.

"We don't have many of these types of events throughout the year," Hatchett said. "We have squadron holiday parties and other functions, but this event is important because it is the one event that we get to celebrate our great Air Force.  We get so busy in our jobs that we oftentimes forget to celebrate our accomplishments and remember the great things we have done."

In keeping with Air Force tradition, the youngest serving attendee of the ball, Airman Basic Justin Meochnig, 31st Contracting Squadron and the oldest Chief Master Sgt. Steven Bowersox, 31st Munitions Squadron, celebrated the evening with the traditional cutting of the birthday cake. This time-honored tradition symbolizes the wisdom of the older service member being passed down to the new generation of Airmen.

In respect of a proud Air Force heritage, the ball concluded with the traditional singing of the Air Force Song by all in attendance. This tradition shows that regardless of history, branch of service or rank that all members of Team Aviano share the same Air Force bond. That bond was extended to not only U.S. service members and their families, but also to Aviano's Italian local nationals and their families.

"I truly have to say, I think this is the first time in many years that we have included those who have served so graciously and gratefully support our presence at Aviano Air Base, our Italian hosts," Seguin said. "We could not do what we do as the United States Air Force as part of NATO and as part of our partnership with Italy at Aviano Air Base if not for those who support us day in and day out."