Fun, food and fireworks!

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Veronica Pierce
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  On American Independence Day service members and their families at Incirlik Air Base were able to bring a bit of American tradition to Turkey with a celebration held here.

The event, coordinated by the 39th Force Support Squadron, took more than 12 weeks of planning. There were approximately 400 Airmen and family members in attendance, to include Turkish air force members and their families, explained Mary Wall, 39th FSS community services flight chief.

Along with activities for children such as bouncy castles, games and face painting, kids had a chance to dance on stage with a special guest singer.

This year Team Incirlik was given the opportunity to have American Idol semifinalist Ayla Brown, perform on stage. The event was presented by the Department of Defense's Armed Forces Entertainment.

"People really enjoyed her music," said Wall. "Being away from families and friends in the states is hard at times. Being able to celebrate our freedoms with an America- style celebration helps to build morale and also reminds people of the importance of our freedom."

In addition to the musical entertainment, 13 private organizations set up booths to offer food and drinks, including some American favorites such as hotdogs by the Incirlik First Sergeants Council. Event guests could also find other refreshments and culinary offerings such as lemonade, root beer floats, funnel cakes and the Filipino dish lumpia and more.

"I think that events like that help bring us a little piece of home," said Master Sgt. Andrew Flora, 39th Operations Squadron first sergeant. "It's easy to get homesick here when you miss activities that you would normally do with family and friends. I'm glad that we had the opportunity to celebrate."

We ask a lot of our Airman and families, it's nice to be able to take a break and celebrate our nation's independence and freedom together, explained Flora.

The evening ended with a fireworks display over Incirlik Air Base.

"We are fortunate in that we get to have a firework display every year," said Wall. "Before the event the display has to be approved by not only 39th Air Base Wing safety office and U.S. Air Forces in Europe safety office, but also with the Turkish air force and the Adana governors' office."

A lot of work went into the planning, and the end result are festivities such as the Fourth of July event for the Airmen, Civilian employees and their families who keep the mission going. I believe that celebrating together supports and reinforces the heart of what Comprehensive Airmen Fitness is, explained Flora.

"Celebrations like the Fourth of July provide us an opportunity to rest, socialize and play, which is part of maintaining our mental fitness and teaches us to put the work aside and enjoy life," said Flora. "Our spiritual wellness is remembering our purpose - nothing accomplishes that better than a fireworks show with 'Proud to be an American' blasting in the background."