Thunderbirds return for 2014 AFA graduation

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds have finalized their 2014 show schedule and will return to the Air Force Academy to fly at the Class of 2014’s graduation ceremony.

In its 61st season, the Thunderbirds team is slated to perform 66 demonstrations at 34 locations. The Thunderbirds, officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, will perform its first public flyover of 2014 at the opening of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1.

The Thunderbirds make one appearance in Colorado, to fly May 28, 2014 over Falcon Stadium and the Class of 2014’s graduation ceremony. The announcement of the Thunderbirds schedule confirms the Defense Department’s commitment to supporting community engagement.

Last October, in an internal memo to military service chiefs, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel stressed a continuing need to maintain military demonstration teams. “Community and public outreach is a crucial Departmental activity that reinforces trust and confidence in the United States Military and in its most important asset – people,” Hagel asserted. “It is our obligation to sustain that trust well into the future.”

Click here to view the Thunderbirds’ full 2014 schedule.