MAY 4, 2022 – A crowd of hundreds of service members, Department of Defense civilians, and military family members celebrated the 75th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force during a Spring Tattoo performance at the Air Force Ceremonial Lawn on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., May 3, 2022.
Distinguished guests included Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. Raymond, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass, and various other military and civic leaders.
This year’s anniversary theme is “Innovate, Accelerate, Thrive…the Air Force at 75” in line with Brown’s “Accelerate, Change or Lose” action orders.
“From its inception, the Air Force has excelled at keeping pace with rapid changes in innovation and technology,” said Brown in his Tattoo remarks. “At 75 years, the United States Air Force is thriving, but we must continue to accelerate the pursuit of today’s dreams, so they become tomorrow’s realities.”
During the military Tattoo, the United States Air Force Band and Air Force Honor Guard demonstrated artistic precision in a ceremonial display of heritage and excellence through military musical performances, drill and ceremony. This event marked the first Tattoo event held on JBAB since the celebration of the Air Force’s 70th anniversary in 2017.
“A lot has changed in the just the last five years in the Air Force, so to think about the immense changes our service has seen in the last 75 years is incredible to think about,” said Lt. Col David Fink, 11th Operations Group deputy commander and officer in charge of the Air Force Tattoo. “We’ve been innovating and thriving for more than seven decades as we’ve led the world in Air and Space power. There is no greater Air Force on this planet, and it’s because of the Airmen we all saw represented here today at Tattoo.”
The Air Force Band and Honor Guard perform their respective missions year-round to honor the lives of fallen Airmen at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as to inspire and connect with military and civilian audiences around the world. The Air Force’s Spring Tattoo was an opportunity for the Band and Honor Guard to showcase their capabilities specifically to service members, civilians and their families. JBAB carried on the time-honored tradition with their execution of the Tattoo that aimed to inspire the military crowd.
“The Air Force was built upon, and is successful today, due to the commitment to our core values of Integrity, Service, and Excellence. The Airmen in our Band and Honor Guard are an incredible representation of those core values as they carry out their missions with excellence every day,” said Fink. “These are the Airmen we’re sending out into the force to find better, faster, stronger and smarter ways of doing business.
“Those who came before us were visionaries and heroes,” Fink added, “and today’s Airmen will continue on that legacy to maintain advantage and relevance in the interest of national security and defense.”
Empowered and motivated Airmen are the competitive edge the Air Force has over adversaries and are the reason the Air Force continues to thrive today. The Air Force focuses on fostering environments of dignity and respect while nurturing a passion for innovation and excellence. The success of the Air Force, though, relies not just on the Airmen who execute the mission every day, but also on the family members and support structures that carry Airmen forward.
“To all of our Airmen and their families, who make the challenging and complex look easy, thank you for what you do each and every day for our nation,” said Brown.
The Air Force will continue the milestone celebration with a finale 75th Anniversary Tattoo event Sept. 15 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. This event will be open to the public and includes performances by The United States Air Force Band and Honor Guard, a flyover, fireworks and more. Follow the U.S. Air Force and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling social media pages for ticketing and additional information as it becomes available.
Story by 2nd Lt. Brandon DeBlanc
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling