In a small conference room just off a runway at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, some of the US Air Force’s most elite F-16 pilots were gathered. They spoke casually to one another, snacking on granola bars and fruit; water bottles and paper littered the table beneath laptops and tablets.
The 12-person team might have seemed relaxed despite the dangerous maneuvers they were able to pull off, but their focus on the task ahead was clear.
The Thunderbirds are the Air Force’s premier demonstration team, performing in dozens of air shows around the country every year. This year marks the team’s 70th anniversary – it was established in 1953, six years after the Air Force split from the Army and became its own service. The intent, according to the team’s current commander and Thunderbird #1 Lt. Col. Justin Elliott – known to his teammates simply as “one” or “boss” – was to “connect the American population to its military at a time when institutional trust was challenged.”
It’s a challenge the Air Force, and military as a whole, is facing again.
The Navy, Army and Air Force have all said they do not expect to meet their recruiting goals this year, continuing a challenging trend from 2022, which saw record lows. For months, military leaders have pointed to the economy, a low desire to serve and a lack of knowledge among young people about what the military does as factors that are hurting recruitment.
But while the recruiting situation has become more dire over the last couple of years, the mission generally hasn’t changed for the Thunderbirds, who this year have more than 30 air shows scheduled around the country. Throughout their travels, the team regularly engages with the public, hoping to give people everywhere a peak behind the curtain of military service.
“We’ve been there many times in history,” Elliott…
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