19 AW goes medieval on heritage

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rochelle Clace
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  The 19th Airlift Wing held the first ever Black Knight Heritage Dinner Oct. 9 at Hangar 276.

19 AW Airman celebrated the first anniversary of the standup of the 19 AW, as well as 82 years of Black Knight history.

Master Sgt. Krista Stroup, 19th Comptroller Squadron Quality Assurance Manager, assisted the 19th Directorate of Staff's group in setting up their area for the event. "It was a night that allowed Black Knights to pay remembrance to our heritage," she said.

According to Sergeant Stroup, the night was also educational.

"We watched a phenomenal video that traced back our 82 years and really showed where we've come from," she said. "The 19th Airlift Wing has been a part of so many important campaigns in our nation's military history. This night proved to be an entertaining way to look at all we've accomplished while still having fun."

The event included a medieval dinner and tournament with jousting, horse racing, quarterstaff fighting and archery.

"The activities of the evening were very successful," said Mrs. Lisa Otey, wife of Col. Greg Otey, 19 AW commander. "All the folks who had a hand in planning and implementing the evening's events deserve a round of applause."

The attire for the dinner was medieval costume or the uniform of the day, which was altered and accessorized to reflect the medieval theme.

"It turns out there's a little medieval in all of us," said Mrs. Otey. "Most everyone came dressed in costumes which were from very diverse periods in history. Folks chose costumes from the Arthurian time, 500 A.D., all the way through the extended Renaissance Period 1700's."

Many attendants agreed that making the event an annual dinner would be a good idea.

"At the end of the evening I went around and asked several groups of people if they enjoyed the evening and if they would like to make it an annual event," said Mrs. Otey. "The replies I received were an resounding and enthusiastic, YES!"

Sergeant Stroup said the event's combination of fun and humor was the perfect mixture to create a successful heritage dinner.

"As a wing, we work very hard in our duties. It was our chance to let our hair down and have fun while still celebrating our roots."