St. Louis celebrates Air Force Week

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Phyllis Hanson
  • Air Force News Agency
ST. LOUIS (AFPN) --  For the second year in a row, Air Force Week St. Louis has kicked off with a flying start. From July 2-8, the Air Force will be the talk of the town in this gateway city.

Events honoring Air Force servicemembers will be happening on both sides of the "Mighty Mississippi," from minor and major league baseball games, concerts and fireworks July 2-6, to an open house at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., July 7 and 8.

The purpose of Air Force Week St. Louis was born out of the desire to tell the American people the AF story with the goal of broadening awareness of the Air Force's role in the war on terrorism. In Missouri and Illinois alone, more than 26,000 men and women serve in the Air Force.

The Saint Louis Science Center will be a hub for many Air Force events throughout the week to include talks and demonstrations from special operations weathermen, life support and explosive ordnance technicians. An Air Force Academy Falcon has flown in for a visit, and the Air Force's own NASCAR is making a pit stop at the center as well.
The musical variety show performed by Tops in Blue will be the highlight July 6 at the Center. Also showing at the Omnimax Theater is "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag." Visitors to the center can also learn about space exploration through NASA's traveling exhibit, Journey to Tomorrow.

"This is a big week," said Doug King, the Saint Louis Science Center president. "The Cardinals are in town and the Air Force is in town, what could be better?"

"Everybody should be in St. Louis this week," Mr. King said. "We're just proud to highlight the great work the men and women of the Air Force do for all of us everyday. We want to help the public understand the interesting and exciting jobs that they do." 

Today at the Science Center, explosive ordnance technicians from the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., gave audiences a look at the life of Airmen perfoming one of the most dangerous jobs in the Air Force. Children and adults got to don a 70-pound bomb suit and the EOD team demonstrated the life saving technologies of an explosives robot.

"I wanted a job that was exciting," said Airman 1st Class Justin Knox an explosive ordnance technician.  The robots keep us away from the ordnance -- saves lives. The suits are a life saving necessity as well. When there's one bomb, there's usually a secondary, he said.

The Air Force week events are a good way for people to see who Airmen are and what they do, he said.

The Air Force's Band of Mid-America will perform a show at Jefferson Barracks July 3 and at put on a performance at Webster Grove on Independence Day.

During the St. Louis Cardinals baseball games July 7, more than 40 young men and women will take to the mound and enlist in the Air Force.

Air Force Week will come to a close with Scott AFB's Open House when more than 100,000 visitors will get to see the Air Force's flying fleets in action. 

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