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A day with outdoor recreation

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daniel Phelps
  • 20th Fight Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  It was dark and early in the morning as people came, gathering outside the outdoor recreation building for the three-hour trip to Savannah, Ga. for the second largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the nation. They waited anxiously, talking and sipping coffee as they waited for Terry Rodgers, 20th Force Support Squadron outdoor recreation programmer, to pull the van around.

The outdoor recreation office offers different opportunities for members of Team Shaw, their families, and retirees to travel and experience unique opportunities.

"If there is anywhere you want to go or anything you want to do, and you can get enough people, outdoor recreation will take you and can get you a good discount," said Rodgers.

After arriving in Savannah around 9:30 a.m., the travelers then proceeded to find the ideal location for viewing the parade.

Along the route, one could see a wide array of interesting spectators, from your average Joe to those who dyed their pets green, to those who decided to wear a green body suit or paint their whole body green. The parade itself featured high school bands, college bands, and organizations with elaborate floats. The bands for the parade came from around the country. The TV show "Wheel of Fortune" even brought their bus for the parade.

The parade also featured members from several law enforcement and fire departments from across the country, as well as several units from branches of the military, including the Army, Marines, and Coast Guard. There were also military vehicles, including mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles and high-mobility, multi-purpose wheeled vehicles.

As the parade began to wind down, people began to make their way to River Street for the after-parade festivities. River Street offered a wide variety of activities for whatever one's fancy might be. There were the fresh sea food restaurants, live music and dancing, boat rides, shops and bars. There were also several activities for children as well, including face painting, karaoke, a rock wall, bungee trampolines, and several giant blow-up slides.

Around 5:30 p.m., it was time for Shaw travelers to head back to the shuttle and make their way back to base.

"Next year I think I will make this a two-day trip so we can really experience the night life here," said Rodgers.

In addition to the St. Patrick's Day trip, outdoor rec is offering more upcoming trips including deep-sea fishing one weekend a month through spring and summer, a three-day trip to Washington, D.C. for the cherry-blossom festival, a trip that includes introduction to scuba, golf and a casino in Little River, S.C., a family whitewater rafting trip, and skiing and snow boarding trips in the winter, said Rodgers. About 90 percent of the trips take place on weekends so that servicemembers can avoid taking leave. Traditionally, outdoor rec really tries to take advantage of the three-day weekends.

Anyone with a Department of Defense identification card can take advantage of outdoor rec's programs, or can also bring people without cards, added Rodgers.

"Shaw is not a boring place," said Rodgers. "A lot of people come into the office while out-processing, never having known about us. Outdoor rec can make things happen for them. They'd be surprised how much they can save, but they have to come on over."

For more information on outdoor rec, call 895-0449 or visit www.20thfss.com.