Base, public enjoy games, food, music at Air Force event

  • Published
  • By Janaé Daniels
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Hundreds showed up at the Gossick Leadership Center recreation area to celebrate the Air Force's 60th Anniversary Sept. 30. 

Total Package Events from Clarksville entertained the crowd with carnival games, Bingo, face painting, caricature drawings, a clown who made balloon hats and many more activities. They also provided giant inflatable play stations along with a mini-Ferris wheel and merry-go-round. 

Musical entertainment was provided by the local band Utopia and Arnold Engineering Development Center's Dave Hartful was the DJ. 

AEDC Commander Col. Art Huber closed the event by thanking everyone for coming to the event and AEDC Honor Guard presented colors. A fireworks display provided by Thunderworks in Manchester ended the daylong event. 

"Our celebration Sunday was a time for the base and the community to celebrate our Air Force's 60th anniversary and to recognize the remarkable feats Airmen have accomplished since our institution became a separate service," he said. "Also, the event was a way for the Air Force to say thanks to the public because without their on-going moral and materiel support, we simply wouldn't have an Air Force." 

Col. Harold Arata, 704th Mission Support Group commander, thought this event was a good showcasing to the community that "this is your Air Force." 

"Col. Huber has been visionary in establishing community ties and relationships," he said. "Our community is who we protect as we continue to keep America strong. This was a great event." 

Tom Fahrer, chief of 704th Services Division, believed the event went very well.
"We had a steady crowd throughout the day with lots of kids enjoying the carnival games and rides." 

Because of the success of this event, it has been recommended to make the Air Force birthday celebration an annual event. 

"The advantages to the Air Force birthday celebration are we don't compete with anyone downtown holding this event in September and it provides us an opportunity to celebrate with the community when we are the only game in town," Fahrer said.