Viper Demo Team on the road Published Sept. 8, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Kelsey Tucker 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. - -- When they are not wowing air show crowds with daring acts of aerial maneuverability, the Viper Demo Team can usually be found doing more 'down to earth' things. Participating in memorial fundraiser runs, performing enlistment ceremonies, and visiting hospitals are just a few of the events the team participates in while on the road. "It gives us a chance to put a human face on the military for kids, and plant the seeds of interest in the Air Force," said Master Sgt. Aaron Smith, Viper Demo Team NCO in charge. Though helping recruiters build interest in the Air Force is a big part of the role they play, while on the road the team makes time to visit hospitals and nursing homes, helping patients forget about their illness for a while. "A chance to take someone's mind off of their troubles for a bit is a real privilege for us," said Smith. They may be small acts, but these visits have definitely had a large impact. "The day the pilots came to visit was a really tough day for my father," said Valerie Johnson, whose father, Eugene Fahey, was a patient at the Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette, Colorado, where the demo team visited in August. "He was recovering from surgery, facing a 12-week hospital, rehab, and assisted living stay, and it was the 5-month anniversary of his wife's - my mother's - death. They truly helped my father that day. As an Air Force veteran, my dad really enjoyed the time the [team] spent with him, and the extra time they took to provide an autograph and photo were greatly appreciated. Your [team] made what would have been a really ugly day into one that he will remember." Not only did the employees of the medical center enjoy the visit, but it helped to bolster local community relations as well. "The nurses thought it was a great idea and asked when the next group was going to visit," said Lisa Taylor, Good Samaritan Medical Center communications manager. "I think I would like to start something like that with our local military [group]." The air show itself is not just for the public. Inspiring future generations of Airmen may be one of the main goals of the team, but that doesn't mean that current personnel are overlooked. "I've seen this show hundreds of times and it still makes me proud to know I had a very small part in Capt. Baker being able to do such amazing things in an aircraft that is older than some of our Airmen," said Smith, referring to the aerial demonstration show Capt. Craig Baker, Viper Demo Team pilot, performs. "I am the only guy on the team that was even born when the F-16CM Fighting Falcon first became operational, and because of the hard work men and women throughout the Air Force put in, the F-16 is still a front line fighter with very few aircraft that can match its ability or versatility in combat." The demo team shows the communities it visits the pride Airmen take in their work, and markets the Air Force as a service that not only defends our nation, but also cares about the people it protects. It helps bring a human element to those communities that don't have a military presence, and honors past and present service members. "Our great Air Force is built upon the backs of the veterans that went before us," said Smith. "We honor them with a professional top notch demonstration."