379th AEW rings in the New Year

Published Jan. 1, 2008
By Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Airmen in the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron brought a little bit of home to Southwest Asia during a New Year's Eve celebration here.

In less than 72 hours, several members of the 379th ECES constructed an 800-pound ball from an old, unusable 1,000 gallon water tank to drop during the final seconds of 2007.

"I asked our folks to prepare a ball for this event and I was amazed at what they accomplished in just two and a half days," said Lt. Col. Michael Saunders, 379th ECES commander.

"Several people came up and said that it was almost like being in New York," said Capt. Cliff Theony, 379th ECES.

Similar to the Times Square drop that many witnessed in the U.S., the ball was suspended some 100 ft. in the air with a crane. Slowly the ball dropped as everyone in attendance counted down the final seconds until 2008.

With more than 180 80-watt bulbs, this 2008 New Year's ball produced some 15,000 watts of light just seconds before the beginning of the new year.

"It greatly exceeded my expectations and turned out to be a perfect example of the old General Patton adage which states 'Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity,'" Colonel Saunders said.

"It was very exciting to see the ball drop and lit after all the work put in to it," said Senior Airman Stephen Waite, 379th ECES electrician. Airman Waite was one of more than 15 people who built the New Year's ball.

"It's a great feeling seeing what our different CE shops can put together, especially in such a short time," he said.

In addition to the ball dropping, Airmen in the 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron hosted a casino night complete with music and prizes.

"A lot of creativity and preparation was done to put on a great New Year's event for all to enjoy and remember, especially being so far from home," said. Lt. Col. Susan Ferrera, 379th ESVS commander. "We in Services work very hard so the troops can play hard when they finish working the mission."

"New Year's Eve was a great time to let loose a little bit and enjoy games of chance, Vegas-style music, super prizes, and celebrate the close of a great and successful rotation with new friends," Colonel Ferrera said.

"In Services, we want all the troops so far from home to be able to celebrate the coming of a new year, having fun and sharing a memorable event with new friends they made while deployed," she added.

"Being away from friends and family on New Year's doesn't have to be a depressing or sad time. Watching the giant ball drop was a great way to celebrate how unique we are, being Air Force professionals, and being together as a family away from family," Colonel Ferrera said.

"New Year's Eve 2007 at the 379th AEW will be a great memory for so many," she said.

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