HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Hundreds of service members from the 419th Fighter Wing and their families gathered in Centennial Park Saturday, September 9, as part of an annual family day hosted for reservists.
The family day included food, games, demonstrations, a mechanical bull, bounce houses and more for attendees to participate in during a regularly scheduled UTA weekend.
The wing’s nearly 1200 personnel were encouraged to bring spouses, children, friends and others who help support their military service.
Representatives from various support organizations made themselves available to reservists including the USO, Military and Family Life Counseling, Operation Homefront, Veterans Affairs and more.
“Your family allows you to be a little bit more resilient,” said Senior Master Sgt. Matt Mason. “It gives you that support group that you need at home because what we do on a day-to-day basis can be challenging and demanding.”
Kneeling in the grass, Mason crouched to the ground as his daughter played with Jenga blocks and his son enjoyed a lollipop.
“It reminds us that our leadership definitely cares about us,” he said about the event. “It reminds us that what we do matters.”
The 419th FW is home to nearly 1,200 reservists who work one weekend a month and two weeks a year and must maintain the same level of efficiency as their active-duty counterparts.