2009 Joint Service Open House Gets Off to a Flying Start

Photo By Master Sgt. Michele Hammonds | The world-class U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds take command of the airways as they roar across the skies in formation to the delight of thousands of onlookers on the ground at the annual Joint Services Open House, an air show held during Armed Forces Week at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Md., that features static displays of military vehicles and aircraft, aerial demonstrations, and a number of military and civilian exhibits.  

UNITED STATES

05.15.2009

Story by Sgt. Darius Kirkwood 

200th Military Police Command   

Thousands descended upon Andrews Air Force Base on May 15 for the first day of the 2009 Joint Service Open House, including a number of invited school children, distinguished visitors, and Department of Defense cardholders and their guests. The event will be open to the public May 16-17.

The JSOH is an annual air show conducted during Armed Forces Week that projects military capabilities and heritage through static displays and a number of airborne demonstrations. Attendees today witnessed the aerial wizardry of the revered U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, as well as that of the Army's Special Operations Command, who skillfully executed a fast rope insertion on the flightline as the crowd stared in awe.

In addition to the air show, service members representing every branch of the Armed Forces manned booths where they displayed tools of the trade and answered questions about military life. The roster of booth exhibitors read like a who's who of military units with reputations for excellence: special operations units from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division, the Army National Guard, and the 200th Military Police Command, a Fort Meade, Md., based organization that oversees approximately 97 percent of the Army Reserve's military police forces.

Dawn Moore, a special education teacher at Northern High School in Owings, Md., brought her class to the JSOH. The Chesapeake Beach, Md., native stood on the flightline with her camera in hand as her students crouched on the ground beside her watching the Thunderbirds spectacular show.

"I come every year because it's a really good experience for the class. The students enjoy watching the air show and seeing the planes fly over and all the different events that are featured here."

• Date Taken: 05.15.2009
• Date Posted: 05.15.2009 19:35
• Story ID: 33689
• Location: US