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All branches of military play role in diversity of Thunder Over the Valley
Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard exhibits were featured.
VIENNA — One of the first things a visitor to the Thunder Over the Valley air show this weekend would have noticed was the diversity of exhibits representing all branches of military service.
“We’re hosting the show as the Air Force Reserve, but we welcome our brethren from the other branches of service to come out and display what they do,” said Master Sgt. Bob Barko Jr., public affairs superintendent for the 910th Airlift Wing.
The 910th hosted the free show, which was attended by tens of thousands of people Saturday and Sunday, at the 910th home base - the Youngstown Air Reserve Station.
“The military is joint. Everything that we do today is a Department of Defense effort. It’s not just one branch of service working out there,” Barko said.
“We’re one entity. We work together. We play together,” said Col. Karl McGregor, commander of the 910th.
YARS is home not only to the Air Force Reserve, but also to Navy and Marine reserve units. “They need to be included in everything we do,” McGregor said.
The joint nature of the event was demonstrated by jumps by members of the Army’s Golden Knights parachute jump demo team and by the presence of a Marine Sea Knight helicopter, a Navy A2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and control plane and a Coast Guard patrol boat.
Besides the Golden Knights, air show demonstrations included a C-130 air drop by the 910th, flights by various historic aircraft, performances by several aerobatics teams, the Air Force Reserve jet car show and a performance by the famous Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team.