RAMSTEIN AIR FORCE BASE, Germany -- The 72nd Annual Air Force Ball is scheduled to be held Sept. 21 starting at 5 p.m. in Building 2018 Dual Bay Hangar.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Maria Vazquez, Air Force Ball committee president, said the ball has been in the works since November 2018. The theme for this year’s ball is “Operation Varsity” with the slogan, “Ready to Lead the Fight.”
The theme ties in with the upcoming Operation Varsity 19-3 exercise scheduled for Sept. 23-27, and parallels with World War II Operation Varsity, which took place over Germany in 1945.
“Celebrating the tradition and heritage of the Air Force is very important, because knowing where we came from helps us see where we’re going,” said Vazquez.
Vazquez said continuing the tradition and educating on the past is especially important for new Airmen.
Ticket sales are scheduled to last until Sept.13. All service members and civilians with base access are welcome. Ticket prices range from $30 for junior enlisted Airmen and entry-level civilians to $60 for senior non-commissioned officers, field grade officers and senior-level civilians, and $70 for senior field grade and general officers.
For parents that would like to have a night out, the Child Development Center will be offering their services from 5 -10 p.m. The deadline to reserve a spot is Sept. 13. For more information, contact the CDC at DSN 480-6011.
For pre-teens and teens, the Vogelweh Youth Center will be offering two events called Knight for Kids and Saturday Swish. The cost to reserve a spot for Knight for Kids is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. The deadline to reserve a spot for Knight for Kids is Sept. 17. Contact the Vogelweh Youth Center at DSN 480-6444 for more information. No registration or cost is necessary is for Saturday Swish.
Roughly 1000 personnel attended the 2018 Air Force Ball. Vazquez said they are hoping to exceed those numbers this year and so far they have sold more than 700 tickets.
Dress code for the event is semi-formal or mess dress uniforms for military and formal attire for civilians. Party shirts are authorized after the 6 p.m. ceremony.
Vazquez said the dinner will be sit-down style with food and drinks catered by the Officer’s Club. She said there will be meat and vegetarian options. The USAFE Jazz band as well as a DJ will be there to perform live music.
While Vazquez encourages everyone to go to the ball, she said it’s especially important for new Airmen to attend.
“You only live once, right?” Vazquez said. “I think if you are in the Air Force it is very important for every single member to go to at least one ball.”
For more information on the Air Force Ball, visit the Ramstein Air Force Ball 2019 Facebook page.