First and foremost, thank you to those in the air and on the ground directly related to the airshow by performing in it. I am proud to be an American and proud of those who serve in the skies above. My father, God rest his soul, is US Air Force thirty years retired. I love and respect those who made the decision to serve above all their other choices. This review has nothing to do with those fine Americans.
However, the feeling does not cascade to those on the ground financially compensated to work the event on March 21, 2026.
When the national anthem was played, the flag displayed by a person parachuting onto the flightline and the announcer asking all us civilians to stand and remove our headgear in the blistering heat (which we civilians happily did), I was standing directly behind a group of four golf carts that said "police". The nine fully uniformed Air Force, plus one local law enforcement officer seated in the golf carts remained seated, never budging out of the comfort of their seats in the shade of their golf carts, looking up at the sky as they watched the paratrooper glide down to the ground. I guess they were enjoying the cool comfort the golf carts shade and soft cushioned seats.
There were actually a couple of them on foot, by coincidence, already standing outside the carts with one hand on the edge of the roof and a foot propped up on the floorboard. But the point is . . . none of them that were seated got up from their seats (yeah, they looked really tough, too, with their feet propped up on the dashboard of the golf cart during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner) and completely ignoring every civilian around them in compliance who were standing, having removed their headgear and facing the flag while sweating in the sun.
I am sure they managed to squeeze in a little time to work while they scooted around the airshow in the comfort of their battery powered carts watching the airshow and visiting each venue as civilians had to step out of their way. I also hope they did not hurt their necks looking up all day. read more