Moody welcomes all to open house

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jarrod Grammel
  • 23d Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Year-round, patriotic citizens and communities show their support for the U.S. military by offering military discounts, welcoming service members into their communities and saying thanks to those who serve.

Team Moody will show their appreciation for this support October 27 and 28 during the 2012 Moody Air Force Base Open House. The open house will feature an air show, static displays and demonstrations by Team Moody personnel.

The Moody Air Force Base Open House is a free, two-day event open to the public. Gates open at 9 a.m. each day and the show is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. each day.

"It's an opportunity to display our capabilities and Airmen," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Sean Monteiro, 75th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations and Open House director. "This year's theme is 'Legacy of Liberty 2012,' which celebrates the contributions of Moody personnel from WWII to present day. The biggest thing is to put our personnel on display. It's a collaborative effort by Team Moody."

As part of the open house, Moody and community leaders will institute the inaugural Awareness, Inspiration and Response (AIR) Initiative. The goal of AIR is to effectively coordinate efforts to provide awareness of involvement opportunities, inspiration to its citizens and response to community needs.

During the Open House, Moody will be collecting non-perishable food items to be donated to local food banks as part of the Response portion of AIR.

"The open house is a way to pay back the generosity and kindness we receive from the greater Valdosta region," said Monteiro. "It's also a way to show them why they give us support."

But the open house is also about fun, Monteiro said. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team will be among the many teams scheduled to perform. There will also be personnel recovery demonstrations and demonstrations by the 93d Air Ground Operations Wing Battlefield Airmen.

"We want to show them a good time and get people excited about the Air Force and what Team Moody does," said Monteiro.

To make the open house a success, Team Moody began planning and preparing in December 2011. During the last open house in November 2010, approximately 25,000 people attended the one day event.

"Moody members should take this as an opportunity to showcase our job," said Monteiro. "I think of it like inviting someone over to our home. We will make Moody presentable, professional, yet fun. Moody is where many Airmen live, it's where we work, and we should all take pride in the things we do to protect this country."

For more information regarding the 2012 Moody Air Force Base Open House, click here,  or follow us on Twitter at #MoodyAFBAirshow