Get ready for the 71st Air Force Ball

by Airman 1st Class D. Blake Browning
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, 3rd Air Force commander, left; Chief Master Sgt. Phillip L. Easton, United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa command chief, center left; Airman 1st Class Linda Casul, USAFE Band’s Wings of Dixie regional band vocalist, center right; and Chief Master Sgt. Aaron D. Bennett, 86th Airlift Wing command chief, right, sing during the Air Force Ball at the Officers’ Club on Ramstein Air Base, Sept. 23, 2017. The ball is a longstanding tradition commemorating the Air Force birthday. — Photo by Senior Airman Devin Boyer

Ramstein Air Base is slated to host an Air Force ball in observance of the Air Force’s 71st birthday on Sept. 22.

Scheduled to be held in building 2018 on Ramstein, attendees can expect a fresh take on an honored Air Force tradition.

“Starting from the beginning, our goal was to do something different, new, and exciting,” said Capt. Matthew Baldwin, 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron flight nurse instructor and Ramstein Air Force Ball committee member. “The theme for the ball is going to be, ‘Into the future,’ and our slogan is ‘Celebrating today, innovating for tomorrow.’”

Electronic invites were released Aug. 13, detailing pricing and how to acquire tickets for the event. Attendees’ RSVPs are required no later than Sept. 13.

Promoting joint interoperability, members of the Ramstein Air Force Ball committee are extending the evening’s invitation to all military personnel assigned to units within the Kaiserslautern Military Community. The event will begin with a social hour at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m.

A stanza in the Airman’s Creed reads, “I am an American Airman. My mission is to fly, fight, and win. I am faithful to a proud heritage, a tradition of honor, and a legacy of valor.”

The Air Force Ball is a celebration of that heritage, tradition, and legacy.

“It’s celebrating everything that’s been given to us by those who came before us,” said Baldwin. “While we are celebrating the beginning of the Air Force, we’re also celebrating today, and were highlighting innovations and what’s to come for Ramstein.”

Baldwin continued, saying if anyone has things they would like to see at this Air Force Ball or things they have seen at a previous Air Force Ball, the committee is still open to suggestions. He said this isn’t the Air Force committee’s ball; this is Ramstein’s Air Force Ball, and the team wants to be as inclusive as possible.

Idea submissions can be submitted to Capt. Matthew Baldwin via email at matthew.baldwin.3@us.af.mil.