Celebrations: legacy, local heritage, partnership Published Sept. 14, 2016 By Airman 1st Class Kelsey Tucker 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Each year, U.S. Air Force bases around the world prepare for one special event to honor Air Force history. The Air Force Ball is a formal celebration of the Air Force’s “birthday” – Sept. 18, 1947 – when it was formally recognized as a separate service from the Army. “These formal events were a spawn from the U.S. Army Air Corps days with Gen. Hap Arnold’s dining-ins or ‘wing-ding’ celebrations,” said Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Short, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron assistant superintendent. “These formal dinners became tradition and he spread them to units across the Air Force shortly after it became a separate service. The use of formal dining-ins, to include the Air Force Ball, are very much alive today and are a tradition that promotes esprit de corps and levity.” For the Airmen of Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, the Air Force Ball is an occasion to reflect on what it means to be a part of the service. “I think it’s important, with all the mission focus and how hard we work during our daily jobs, that we have one opportunity a year to come together as ‘big-A’ Airmen and celebrate what it is we do as a profession,” said Maj. Brett Shilling, 20th Operations Support Squadron director of operations and Air Force Ball chairman. The event is open to the public and is scheduled for Sept. 16 at the Sumter Civic Center, Sumter, S.C. Military and community members are invited. The goal for this year’s Air Force Ball is to make it memorable for all and recognize the community’s impact on Shaw was a key focus for committee planners. The community is “the very reason Shaw has been successful in its mission of protecting this nation over the past seven decades,” said Short. “Without the unwavering support and love from our local community and its leaders, our existence would not be as meaningful.” Not only does this year mark the 69th anniversary of the Air Force, but also the 75th anniversary of Shaw AFB, originally named Shaw Field, a milestone that was not overlooked by S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley. Sept. 16, 2016 was declared “Shaw AFB Day” in a proclamation signed by Haley, in recognition of the 75th anniversary and the ball. “Regardless of what your individual job is – whether you’re a flier or a maintainer, you work in an office, on the flightline, in a back shop – it doesn’t matter where you work, or even if you’re a civilian supporting the fight,” said Shilling. “It’s important that we all come together once a year and recognize what we do and what the word Airman means to us and our nation.”