Military Flying Teams - FORESTVILLE, MD - SEPTEMBER 18. United States Air Force Thunderbirds test their endurance flight mode on September 18, 2015 in Forestville, Maryland. This weekend, the Thunderbirds will perform at the Joint Base Andrews Air Show in Camp Springs, Maryland. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
DENVER — Both of the U.S. military's high-drama and expensive flight teams crashed on the same day this week, but supporters say the Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels are worth the money and the risk because they are vitally involved and helping are citizens to feel good about their military.
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"It's our No. 1 recruiting tool," said retired Air Force Col. Pete McCaffrey, a Thunderbirds pilot from 1992-1995.
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Most people don't get to see the military up close, but when they see the elite squads in action, "they're proud of their military and their country, and I think we need that more than ever." McCaffrey said Friday.
A Blue Angels F/A-18 crashed Thursday near Nashville, Tenn. The pilot, Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, was killed.
Also Thursday, a Thunderbirds F-16 crashed outside Colorado Springs, Colorado, but the pilot, Maj. Alex Turner, ejected unharmed. The Thunderbirds were performing at a nearby Air Force Academy graduation ceremony where President Barack Obama was speaking.
The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds have suffered dozens of accidents over their long history, and since 1985, a total of at least nine pilots have died during performances or practice.
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Teams are also expensive. The Thunderbirds have an annual operating budget of $35 million, said Air Force Chief of Staff. Air Combat Command spokeswoman Kathy Maricle. A Navy spokesman could not immediately provide a budget for the Blue Angels.
"The Thunderbirds are a huge part of United States Air Force history and an extremely important part of our nation's connection to our Air Force," Maricle said.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Kennedy said the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels help servicemen and women share their pride with the public.
Kennedy, who now flies at air shows, said the demonstration teams allowed the military to say, “We're here to protect you and we just want to show you off. does."
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Two months before the squadron arrived at the Smoky Mountain Air Show in Alcoa, Tenn. He said his goal is to inspire all the kids who now look up to him.
"We're just interested in reaching out to the community and telling them a little bit about what we do," he said. "But we're really just trying to get that fire in their belly to go out and do what they want to do that makes them happy and successful in life."
Tom Mavis, a marketing professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, said the recruitment argument has merit, especially when potential servicemen and women see the troops at air shows.
"People who are interested in the Air Force are more likely to attend these events and witness these teams and be excited about them," he said. "The idea of investing in the future brand of the Air Force or the Army is a positive investment."
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But Mavis cautioned that he was not a military expert and said he could not assess whether military investments would pay off.
"I don't know that the US military necessarily has to sell itself to the public," he said.
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Navy conservation efforts help remove 5 species from endangered list. The species recovered after feral goats were removed from the island in the 1990s. The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels will field the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Super Delta during a joint exercise March 2, 2021 at the Naval Air Station (NAF) (US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendricks)
The Navy and Air Force air display squadrons have given a glimpse of the all-new formation the teams will debut when they compete together over Memorial Day weekend.
Six F/A-18 Super Hornets of the Navy Blue Angels and six F-16 Fighting Falcons of the Air Force Thunderbirds flew together in a formation called "Super Delta" on Tuesday. The six Hornets formed a tight triangle and were flanked by three Warhawks on each side.
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The teams shared photos of the plane flying with the new lineup. They flew over Naval Air Station El Centro in California while training together.
The formation grew out of a series of joint training events between the two teams that supported flyovers honoring frontline workers, said Air Force Capt. Mesha "Flare" Nelson, a Thunderbirds spokesman.
The teams worked together to ensure the F/A-18s and F-16s could fly a safe distance from each other when in close proximity, Nelson added.
"The teams have established common terms that allow air traffic controllers to communicate effectively with each other and within their respective formations," he said in an email. Common verbal commands and signals were needed because teams use different vocabularies in day-to-day flight operations, he explained.
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Working together will also improve the pilots' flying skills before the teams' months-long show season begins, Nelson added.
The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds performing together is still a unique experience. The teams hadn't performed together in more than a decade before teaming up for the 2019 Legends in Flight Air and Space Show at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
Last year, the teams performed together during the America Strong fly-by campaign to honor workers responding to the global pandemic. According to Nelson, the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels have flown over thousands of hospitals in 31 US cities.
The formation "Super Delta" will make its debut as a National Memorial Day parade. America Stands Up, which Nelson said will air on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates May 29-31.
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Team members hope the new joint formation will serve as an example of the teamwork, discipline and savvy servicemen and women demonstrate every day around the world.
"We hope the exhibit inspires pride, confidence and support for those who have served past and present, honors those who have sacrificed for this country, and reassures Americans that they have the greatest power on the planet," Nelson said.
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