It’s been four years since Joint Base San Antonio had an open house and air show. But the wait is over as the F-16 fighter jets of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds arrived earlier this week for their weekend performance at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.
Major Joshua Boudreaux of Covington, Louisiana is Thunderbird-two. That means he’s in what is known as the left wing position. “The F-16 is a multi-role fighter. What that means is it’s capable of flying air-to-air and air-to-ground, shooting missiles and dropping bombs,” Boudreaux said.
Boudreaux loves flying with the Thunderbirds. “It wasn’t that long ago that I was sitting in a barracks at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan getting mortared every single day,” Boudreaux recalled.
The air show and open house runs from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. That’s where Colonel Matt Isler is commander of the 12th Flying Training Wing.
“We train all of the Air Force’s instructor pilots and all of the Air Force’s remotely-piloted-aircraft pilots and sensor operators,” Isler said.
All the static display aircraft and aerial demonstrations at the air show are great, but Joint Base San Antonio commander, Brig. Gen. Bob Labrutta wants the public to experience something else.
“They’re going to come in and they’re going to see the world’s greatest airmen, up close and personal,” Labrutta said. “They’ll be able to shake their hands, talk to them about their experiences in the United States Air Force and what they’re doing and what their families are experiencing.”
Admission to the air show is free and open to the public. More information about the weekend is available at www.JBSA.mil.