Lajes Airmen host Portuguese during open house

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LAJES FIELD, Azores --  Airmen and their Portuguese counterparts shared an inside look of the base with more than 4,000 local community members during an open house here July 10.

During the open house, members of the community were able to get an up-close look at various aircraft operated by both countries' Airmen for about eight hours.

The event, according to officials here, was hosted to strengthen friendships between the military and the local community surrounding Lajes Field.

The open house exalted "the good relationship and cooperation that exists between both commands," said Portuguese Maj. Gen. Vitor Francisco, Azores Air Zone commander. "This is a way to strengthen the mutual cooperation between our two allied nations, where the main objectives of defense and security are common to both."

The event was also a tribute to thank the local community for their continued support for the service members at Lajes.

"Today is a very special day," said Col. Jose Rivera, 65th Air Base Wing commander. "One in which the 65th ABW gets to take time to say 'thank you' to our Portuguese community for their continued hospitality and graciousness. The dynamic mission here at Lajes couldn't happen without the tremendous partnership between the Portuguese and U.S. Air Forces."

The fun-filled day consisted of static aircraft displays, games, face painting, live music, and food.

"It's been a long time since I had the opportunity to visit the base during an Open House," said Catia Arruda, one of the visitors. "For the Portuguese community members, it's a great opportunity to see how things work on base, and to interact with members of the military community working on base."

Some of the Portuguese aircraft on display during the event included a medium lift helicopter, EH-10 Merlin, three F-16 Fighting Falcons and a P-3 Orion. The Americans showcased a C-5 Galaxy, C-21, C-130 Hercules and a KC-135 Stratotanker.

While the military working dogs demonstrated their skills, the 65th Civil Engineer Squadron's fire department demonstration and displays also caught the attention of many passersby. Some of the visitors took a trip to see the classic car show, while others saw a local folklore band perform.

"One of my favorite parts of the event was when the folklore group did its show," said 1st Lt. Mara Title, 65th Air Base Wing public affairs officer. "The dancers came into the audience and invited us to dance."

The local community was able to see firsthand some of the daily aircraft missions carried out by the Portuguese and American Airmen. For some of the visitors, it was their first time seeing and getting a close-up look at military aircraft systems, and for others, especially those who have regular access to the base, the event better opened their eyes to all the mission entails at Lajes.

The event went off without a hitch, and Lajes Airmen look forward to future opportunities to interact with the local community on Terceira.