Do Air Shows Really Help Military Readiness and Recruiting? Congress Plans to Find Out.
Military.com | By Thomas Novelly
Published December 12, 2024 at 5:20 pm
Lawmakers want the secretary of defense to brief Congress on how sending military aircraft to air shows affects recruiting and readiness, as well as study the effect of bringing those planes to smaller rural communities.
As part of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, Congress has asked the next defense secretary to brief lawmakers early next year on a wide range of issues -- from how the military chooses which shows to support; what types of aircraft are provided; the costs involved; the effects on training and recruiting; and the total number of shows the services supported over the past three years.
But the bill also takes it a step further, calling for "a one-year pilot program under which the secretary shall provide military aircraft and aerial demonstration teams in support of not fewer than five air shows located in rural or small market areas across the country for the purpose of providing the public with positive exposure to the armed forces." It asks the services to submit a report in January 2026 about those shows detailing the costs, types of aircraft involved, and whether there were any measurable changes to readiness and recruiting.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/12/12/do-air-shows-really-help-military-readiness-and-recruiting-congress-plans-find-out.html
