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Air Force Reserve Command highlighted decisive capabilities during the 2026 Hyundai Air & Sea Show in Miami Beach, May 23-24, 2026. The two-day event over Memorial Day weekend provided opportunities to showcase capabilities in the air and on the ground with military displays and recruiting events.
Friday before the show, Lt. Gen. John P. Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command spoke on a panel at the Government and Industry Partnerships for National Security Summit, where he emphasized what the Reserve force brings to the fight.
“[During Epic Fury] we again proved our total accessibility by mobilizing a significant amount of Reservists in 72 hours out the door, doing exactly what we're trained to do, with no differentiation between us and the active duty,” said Healy.
Healy went on to share that the Air Force Reserve can operate an F-16 base $12M cheaper per year than an active-duty unit, boasts the experience level of an F-22 unit three times more than an active-duty force and provides experienced B-1 crews who one month ago flew 26-hour missions delivering lethality and defense on behalf of the Nation where needed and when called upon.
“In every single mission set we own, we're efficient, experienced, accessible, and lethal,” said Healy. “And that is the Reserve Advantage.”
The value Healy spoke about Friday could be seen at the start of the airshow Saturday and Sunday with a bomber-fighter eight-ship dissimilar formation. The formation, named the Arsenal of Freedom Flyover, was led by a Reserve B-52 Stratofortress out of the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and included two F-16 Vipers from the 482nd Fighter Wing, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida.
Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Ken Wilsbach, presided over a mass enlistment ceremony Saturday for more than 300 future servicemembers. Air Force recruits made up the largest number with 170 future Airmen, 17 of which enlisted into the Air Force Reserve. The ceremony culminated with aflyby of a reserve MH-139A Grey Wolf from the 908th Flying Training Wing, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
“These newest enlistees didn’t just witness the spectacle of airpower at the Hyundai Air & Sea Show, they chose to become part of it,” shared Col. Sean Fellows, 367th Recruiting Group commander. “That is what we in recruiting live for: the moment public pride becomes private commitment, and a citizen becomes the world’s greatest weapon system—the American Airman.”
Air Force Reserve recruiters at the show were joined by Airmen from the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team. The LAMAT 2026 team recently provided essential care in the Caribbean region that helped strengthen partner-nation healthcare systems and maintain their military medical readiness. At the show, they shared their experiences with the public and provided information about commissioning and enlistment opportunities in the Air Force Reserve.
“We have people here who want to join the Air Force as well as the healthcare community,” shared Maj. Tina Palone, nurse practitioner and medical provider on the LAMAT team. “It was great to share those opportunities and show all the good we do that the public might not know about.”
While the recruiters were interacting with the public, the 920th Rescue Wing from Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, a six-year participant in the show, performed a combat search and rescue demonstration. The wing, which recently participated in a real-life rescue, performed a simulated search and rescue with two HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters that concluded with pararescue Airmen swimming to shore. A Reserve HC-130J Combat King II also conducted a simulated aerial refueling for the two HH-60Ws.
The show concluded with an action-packed performance by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team. A live stream of the 10thannual Air and Sea show at Miami Beach can be viewed during and after the show. View more photos onDVIDSby searching for the 2026 Hyundai Air & Sea Show.
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.24.2026 18:14 |
| Story ID: | 566068 |
| Location: | GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Reserve Advantage Featured at Miami Beach Airshow, by MSgt Nicole King, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
