Expo showcases tanks, planes

Tanks, helicopters and other military vehicles were out on display at the McEntire Air National Guard Station for the Air and Ground Expo, hosted by the state’s National Guard on Oct. 10 and 11.

The public event gave the public an opportunity to see all the hardware that defines our military. Some of the vehicles displayed were used in previous conflicts, such as the Vietnam War and World War II.

“This went through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam and has gone through a few upgrades since 1966,” retired Sgt. Maj. Vernie Nance said as he pointed to an AN-IF Cobra Attack Helicopter.

Although he only did mechanics on the aircraft, Nance says all material offers several different career choices, such as armaments, hydraulics, painting and much more. Young children and even some parents were lining up to sit in the M1A1 Heavy Combat Tank.

“Everyone’s not familiar with our tanks, so they develop an interest in them,” an military official said. “It helps motivate kids, so in the next ten years or so they become future leaders.”

F-15s, F-16s, Apache helicopters and even F-22 Raptors were among the military vehicles on display. Dozens of people were waiting in line to board larger aircraft, such as the C-130H Hercules. Others were engaging in the flight simulators and an area for paintball. There were more than 25 performances in the air and on the ground. There was a demonstration of the M1 Abrams Tank, flybys of F-16s and multiple stunts, performed by the U.S. Army’s parachute team, the Golden Knights. It was the first airshow at McEntire Air National Guard Station in 10 years.

“Basically, the events of 9/11 and the immediate deployments that followed are what cancelled the expo show for that year in the fall,” Lt. Colonel Les Carroll said. “A lot of training and operational schedules also postponed any other expos for some time, but we should have another one by 2011,” 

Maj. Brent Allen, Air National Guard officer in charge of the weekend’s expo, said the military in South Carolina has a significant role in the nation’s forces, so they didn’t have time for expos then.

“Here at South Carolina ‘semper primus’ is our motto. It means ‘always first.’ We were first to deploy in previous conflicts and operations, which do include Iraqi Freedom. We have a flawless reputation with our international allies and a feared reputation with our enemies,” Allen said.

He also said that the McEntire base has received much equipment and personnel while other bases were being closed, so the focus on the expedition was a way of thanking the people of the Midlands area for their support.

“We wanted to thank thepeople while also educating them,” Allen said. “It won’t be another 10 years before we do this again.”