Hurlburt Celebrates Air Force’s 68th Birthday, AFSOC 25th Anniversary

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Katherine Holt
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
FT. WALTON BEACH, FLA --  More than 900 Hurlburt Field personnel celebrated the Air Force’s 68th Birthday, Air Force Special Operations Command’s 25th Anniversary and The Year of the Air Commando with guest speaker retired Gen. Norty Schwartz, 19th Chief of Staff of the Air Force, during an Air Force Ball at the Emerald Coast Convention Center, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, Sept. 12, 2015.

The theme for this year’s birthday is “Wild Blue Yonder (Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow).”

Hosted by the 1st Special Operations wing, Air Force Ball attendees celebrated the high standards set by yesterday’s Airmen through dedication to duty and innovation to succeed, today’s diverse Airmen who stand ready to fly, fight and win against worldwide threats in air, space and cyberspace, and tomorrow’s Airmen who will succeed through capability and flexibility in a future of unpredictability.

The attendees also commemorated a rich and decorated Air Commando history that pre-dates the formation of our service by highlighting the 25th anniversary of AFSOC during the event.

The evening commenced with a skit representing the Air Force through the years, and concluded with remarks from the 1st SOW commander.

“It was an honor to celebrate the early Air Force pioneers who epitomized the spirit of creativity and innovation, progressively growing the service into the modern day Air Force,” said Col. Sean Farrell, 1st SOW commander. “They paved the way for Airmen today who operate across air, space, and cyber domains to provide the nation with unmatched global vigilance, global reach, and global power.”