Bravo SJAFB: Wings Over Wayne team puts on a good show

They made it look easy -- that first day of the Wings Over Wayne Air Show.

It is not easy moving 100,000 people through security checkpoints efficiently and quickly while making sure they are safe and secure.

It is not easy making sure acts take off on time and that there is a full show for the community to enjoy -- let alone to provide interesting commentary hour after hour.

It is not easy to coordinate arrivals, to escort VIPs and to spend your day zooming around trying to make sure every cog runs smoothly.

And it is not a small sacrifice to spend the day in the sun directing traffic, transporting supplies and making sure visitors to your base can find their cars.

And we won't even talk about driving a fleet of buses back and forth for hours on end.

But the members of Team Seymour who staffed this year's Wings Over Wayne did so cheerfully, helpfully -- and in uniform.

And that shows what a class group of airmen we have here in Wayne County.

They were never too busy to answer a question, to point out a location or to share a couple minutes with everyone from an eager first-time, awe-struck youngster to a seasoned veteran who had some war stories of his own.

If you visited one of the static displays, there was someone on hand to share information and to pose for pictures with a smile -- no matter how many times he or she had already done so that day.

And although a full day in full sun and high heat could not have been easy, there was no indication of irritation, fatigue or stress.

It is no accident that this is how this year's air show manifested. It is leadership that makes an event like this a success.

The first congratulations go to Col. Mark Slocum -- the 4th Fighter Wing commander. His leadership and high standards were evident in every aspect of the show. He asked a lot of his airmen -- and they did him proud.

Also due a round of applause is Air Show Director Lt. Col. James Ladd and his team. There is a reason so much was executed so well. Months of planning created an air show that was first-rate. Execution by the team on

Saturday is what made it fun.

If you did not make the trip Saturday, stop by today.

You will be proud. We guarantee it.

Published in Editorials on May 17, 2015 12:22 AM