BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Team Buckley celebrated the Air Force’s 71st birthday Sept. 22, 2018, at the Denver Marriott Tech Center. The event kicked off by reminiscing the unique contributions Airmen have made over the years. While the event focused on celebrating the Air Force’s rich history, Team Buckley celebrated unlike ever before.
“The past Air Force balls had a lot of formalities and although they brought a lot of tradition they also brought along a certain sense of being official,” said Senior Airman Geordan Penners, 460th Space Communications Squadron technician.
Buckley Air Force Base’s Air Force Ball committee spent numerous hours planning an event that would celebrate the service’s rich history, while bringing members of Team Buckley together.
“Because of the feedback we received from personnel who attended last year's ball, we wanted to embrace the fact the Air Force Ball is a fun event and it should feel that way,” said Senior Master Sgt. Pourshia Chambers Motley, Air Force Ball Committee head.
Instead of having a guest speaker, the committee decided to focus more on entertainment, such as a DJ and a comedian. They also decided to remove many social barriers by not having assigned seating and adding combinations of cocktail tables and traditional low tables in order to make the environment light and fun.
“Our team’s main goal for this year’s ball was for people to have fun and feel included,” said Chambers Motley.
The committee succeeded with their vision, selling out tickets to the ball with over 300 attendants.
“I really commend the committee for finding that balance between bringing in the Air Force tradition and the ability to have a good time,” said Penners.