Planning underway for Kirtland's year-long anniversary celebration Published Sept. 24, 2015 By Kendahl Johnson Kirtland Public Affairs KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The 2016 calendar is becoming jam-packed with activities and events to help Kirtland celebrate its 75th anniversary. Joanne Perkins of the Kirtland Public Affairs Office is leading the way in the planning and organizing events for the year-long celebration, which is themed "Honoring Our Heritage, Forging Our Future." "It's going to be a really exciting thing to be a part of with so many fun activities going on throughout the year," Perkins said. In addition to the base celebrating a major milestone, 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the 377th Air Base Wing, the 25th anniversary of the 58th Special Operations Wing and the 10th anniversary of the Nuclear Weapons Center. "It's such a momentous year with so many different and important anniversaries going on," Perkins said "All of the units at Kirtland have something to get excited about." One of the biggest events will be in April with an all years, all ranks reunion. The three-day reunion will include a banquet and dance, with a 1941 theme and swing band. In addition to other events being planned, the celebration will include two strong community outreaches. The first is an education outreach. Perkins said nine elementary near Kirtland have been targeted. Servicemembers will be visiting the schools to talk about their military experiences and how important military is to country and to the community. The children will be encouraged to write letters and a color pages to send to deployed troops and veterans. The other will be a strong outreach to the veteran community in Albuquerque. Military members will be visiting hospitals, taking them gift bags and information about the activities going on at Kirtland. There will also be a major clothes drives to help provide clothing for veterans in need. The culminating event for the year-long celebration will be an air show in August. More details on the air show will be revealed in the coming months. Perkins said she is excited to be a part of the celebration, but that it's a major project. "It is going to be a really big endeavor," she said. "When you're doing a year of festivities, there's a lot of work that will go into it. Having a really active and committed group of people helping is really important." She has organized six committees to assist with the different areas of planning: reunion, banquet, historical, educational outreach, veterans outreach, fundraising and public affairs. She said she already has about 50 volunteers who will be helping on the committees, and is welcoming anyone else willing to roll up their sleeves and be a part of one of the committees. For more information, contact Perkins at 846-5991. Col. Eric Froehlich, 377th Air Base Wing and installation commander, is excited about the chance to celebrate the milestone, and about the events being planned. He really hopes the year highlights the great heritage of Kirtland and the accomplishments of the Airmen who served here over the past seven decades. "This year-long celebration will be a strong tribute to our Kirtland military and civilian professionals who served here before us," Froehlich said. "It's important that we recognize the significance of the national security work they accomplished and their roles in making Kirtland the great base it is today."