2018 Air Force Anniversary Ball

The ASM model display at the 2018 Air Force Ball was a big success. The event was the celebration of the 71st birthday of the USAF (September 18, 1947), and was held on September 15th at Kirtland AFB. We had 74 models on four tables showing the history of the USAF from 1947 through the present, and all the attendees really enjoyed the display. We answered lots of questions on the models and the club, and passed out a lot of ASM flyers. There was a lot of interest and we may see some new folks attending our upcoming meetings to check us out.

The models were grouped left to right (see pictures) starting with test aircraft (1947-present), then the Korean War, Viet Nam, Strategic Air Command, Air Defense Command, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and then Operations Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve. The far right end had several models from the New Mexico Air National Guard “Tacos.” We had brought models to put up the “What is Scale Modeling” display but did not have enough room to do so. Lots of 377 Wing and other command leadership came by to see the display and thanked ASM for putting it on. I think that we will have no problem doing a repeat performance in 2019 if we would like to do so, or doing another display at the Kirtland AFB Air Show in May 2019. I did get the chance to talk to one of the people in the Wing Public Affairs Office about ASM doing that.

Thanks again to Josh Pals, Larry Glenn and Frank Randall for helping me man the tables. Thanks to the following members for loaning models: Frank Randall, Victor Maestas, Chris Kurtze, Keith Liotta, Patrick Dick, Glenn Bingham, Jack Garriss, Larry Glenn, Matt Blohm, Mike Blohm, and the Defense Nuclear Weapons School Museum (ASM-built models). We carried-in 27 tubs/boxes of models. Of note, I went back and checked on the number of models that we have had at all our recent displays (info available on the website), and besides the three displays at the Albuquerque Comic Expo events in 2012 (155 models), 2013 (100+), and 2014 (140), the exhibit at the 2018 AF Ball is the next ranking display.