By 1st Lt. Jurich
DEBLIN, Poland - On June 18, 2015, NATO 40 departed Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany, bound for Deblin, Poland, in response to the invitation for the E-3A Component participates in the 90th Anniversary Jubilee for the Polish Air Force Academy, whose theme for the occasion was “90 Years – The school of Eaglets.”
Prior to the opening of the weekend’s celebration, a large crowd of people had already gathered to visit the E-3A static display, and the line of visitors continued to grow throughout the day.
This was, in fact, the first ever static display of an E-3A in Poland, therefore public enthusiasm was extremely high, not only with children, but also from other aircrews, students of the Academy, as well as civilians alike. None seemed to mind the long lines that were ever present, in order to gain a unique impression of how the E-3A, its mission, and its crew functions. Despite the fact that there were other aircraft on display, the E-3A was the only one which was open to visitors and proved to be the biggest attraction of the day.
An additional highlight of the event was the collection of donations made on the behalf of the “Podogny Dom” (Cheerful Home) orphanage in Lublin. The crew collected voluntary donations while handing out bags, filled with posters, pens, stickers and other material about AWACS and the Component.
The total raised was 6,000 Zloty (approximately 1,400 euros), which was presented to the orphanage during the crew’s visit on Sunday. This donation, which was very much appreciated by the orphanage management and staff, will allow 20 children to have a fun-filled summer vacation.
The crew was then invited for homemade cakes and juice, while the children entertained them with choreographed dances. Next they showed the crew their home and enjoyed taking photos with the Component members.
The smiles generated that day from the faces of every child, warmed the hearts of all members of the crew, and make it a necessity to return again in the future.