JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
While the air show itself may cover three days, months of planning went into making the event a reality. As we look back on last week's Joint Service Open House event, you can't help but think about the awesome aviation displayed by our military and civilian compatriots.
From the dazzling Oracle II stunt flying to the "Shut It Down Show Stoppers," and of course those marquee headliners, "The Blue Angels!" Year after year, the air show has continued to be a marvel to see and a true jaw dropping experience to be enjoyed by all, military and civilian alike. But that was just the sights...what about the sounds?
Being able to enjoy the air show with family on a blanket, away from the crowd, and still being able to hear the announcer introduce each aerial acrobatics act during each phase of their performance is nothing short of a miracle.
The gargantuan task of making that luxury possible was undertaken by the men and women of Andrews' own 744th Communications Squadron: the "Ground Rats" from the radio section, "Cable Dawgs" from the cable maintenance workcenter, and the public announcement section.
This dedicated team of highly skilled volunteers ran over a one and a half miles of cable, installed 37 speakers providing audio capabilities covering an area larger than three football fields wide and five football fields long.
This stellar support was offered while providing continuous unwavering primary customer support throughout the National Capital Region. These communications troops also provided much of the behind the scenes audio support, including the stage performance audio setup supporting the song styling's of Mrs. Nancy Hines.
Throughout the event, this crew provided and supported the use of 300 Land Mobile Radios, 143 telephones for event command and control, emergency response, and lost and found. This support in itself greatly enhanced a highly touted showcase of flying displayed for the National Capital Region and Team Andrews.
So, when you are enjoying next year's JSOH at Andrews, just think about the support that goes into putting this on.
It takes a tremendous amount of effort for an event like this, and we certainly could not have done it without our community partners, volunteers and base leadership who were outstanding on every level.
The professionalism, dedication, flexibility, and Airmanship displayed throughout the entire air show is the reason why the 744th Communications Squadron is the Air Force District of Washington's premier communications unit.