The Thunderbirds and the Combat Readiness Training Center team up to give a rare treat to a group of sports car-owning military veterans.
During the "Vettes and Jets" event, Gulf Coast Corvette Club members received permission to come to the Gulfport CRTC to take photos of their vehicles next to the Thunderbirds' F-16's. Many of the club members are retired from the United States Air Force.
“No words can describe how awesome it was to be with eight powerful F-16 Thunderbirds, one C-17 Globemaster, 22 incredible corvettes, and 40 amazing people," said Tom Bocek, Gulf Coast Corvette Club event coordinator.
The event also had a recruitment element - each club member was required to come with a person who is eligible to join the Armed Forces.
"The concept was for Corvette drivers to bring young people between the ages of 17-28, or recruit age, to be among some of America’s finest engineering marvels of power and speed and perhaps inspire young minds to do great things in the future," said Bocek. "We may have even motivated a potential new Soldier, Sailor, or Airman for the future. It was simply incredible fun!"
CRTC Commander, Col. Joe Reid, says the base is pleased to have provided support services for several elements of the air show.
"The Thunderbirds are a wonderful organization that represents the professionalism and team work of the Air Force. We are honored to support the Thunderbirds organization at the Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, Mississippi," said Reid.
"An air show of this magnitude, shows the high level of partnership between the CRTC, Keesler Air Force Base, and our community," Reid said. "I am personally excited to see a great performance by such a skilled team."
This is the second straight year the CRTC helped provide support for an air show on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.