| After receiving phone calls and emails expressing concern about the U.S. military’s reluctance to provide ground support equipment to those civilian shows scheduled to host U.S. military jets in 2014, ICAS pursued the issue through its contacts within the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force. Resolution is expected shortly.
Early last spring, the Pentagon issued guidance prohibiting individual units from supporting air shows. Subsequently and in part as a result of determined ICAS advocacy efforts in this area, the Department of Defense approved limited restoration of that military support, including full performance schedules in 2014 for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Marine Corps Harrier and Osprey demo teams (see story below), U.S. Air Force F-22 demo team, U.S. Army Golden Knights, and U.S. Navy Leap Frogs.
But, though the teams were approved to schedule and perform, the guidance issued last spring was not rescinded or updated. As a result, when civilian event organizers began contacting military units for help in supplying essential ground support equipment for participating U.S. military aircraft, some units denied support based specifically on the now outdated guidance that they received last April.
ICAS brought this issue to the attention of the appropriate individuals within the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. We have been assured that new guidance is being prepared and will be distributed shortly. ICAS will provide an update when those new directions are published and distributed.
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