“What is the Air Force Ball?”
Ahhhh the Annual Air Force Ball, it somehow manages to sneak up on us each year, but it’s always met with excitement because we both love a good opportunity to dress up and party with our AF family. However, we do have to admit when we attended our first ball neither of us had any idea WHY we was attending that ball. Kind of a big deal right? To know why exactly you’re paying for a ticket, dressing up and attending an event.
Why do we have these events annually?
In short, to celebrate the United States Air Force’s Birthday! September 18, 1947 is the official date that the US Air Force was created, and every year around that date most bases will locally organize a formal event to honor it. This event was established to be a celebration of our Air Force heritage, and celebrate we will!
Who gets to go to this event?
Military members (enlisted and officers), their dates, and civic leaders. Ticket prices vary based on your role, rank, etc.
What do people wear to this event?
The dress is formal/semi-formal. Service members wear their military dress uniform (mess dress or dress blues), a suit or floor length dress. Guests will wear a suit or floor length dress – check out our AF Ball Style Guide
if you need a little inspiration or are curious what to shop for.
Why isn’t the base near me having one?
The local Air Force Association for each base is typically who is responsible for putting on the Air Force Ball. Some bases choose to alternate years, or skip a year for a variety of reasons, so this might be why there isn’t one happening where you are. If you’re interested in getting an event organized for your location, we recommend reaching out to your local Key Spouse, and getting in contact with the people responsible for these type of events, so you can get more details on how to get involved.
Why do we recommend going?
This is a great opportunity to meet people, we have had so many WAFs reach out asking for a post about how to meet new people in new places (it’s coming soon, we promise!!), but we couldn’t publish this post without noting this built-in chance to meet the co-workers you hear your spouse telling you about and their families. If you’re really feeling outgoing, host a pre-game get together for your spouse’s squadron – it can be as simple as providing a few appetizers and having everyone BYOB. At the very least, reach out to a few spouses and shop together in preparation for the ball (get creative if you’re in a remote location – wine nights and online shopping only lead to great things…I don’t care what any husband has to say 😂
Hopefully this little post will be a good reminder of why this event is so special to the USAF and get you excited to start planning for next year’s big event (or getting involved now to help plan it). Remember this Brunch Babble series is inspired by questions we’ve received from family members, friends, and all of the non-military people in our life that are curious about certain aspects of the military and our realities – so if you have a question you’re asked often, reach out and let us know so we can feature your knowledge!
xo,
Jen + Kirst
