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On Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, Long Island will celebrate America's military during the fun-filled "Long Island Freedom Festival 2004" at Dowling College's Brookhaven Campus on William Floyd Parkway in Shirley.
Bring the entire family to meet military heroes & uniformed personnel from the United States Air Force, Army, Marines and National Guard. This exciting salute to our troops will bring together hands-on, interactive military displays, using aircraft, vehicles and equipment from each branch of the armed forces. Food, rides and games will round out this family-fun event.
Guests will see the actual equipment used by our armed forces at home and overseas to keep America free. All events and displays will be manned by active and reserve military personnel, many of whom just returned from, or will soon head out to, the Middle East.
As a special thank you to those who have served, the event will open an hour early each day exclusively for all VFW, American Legion and Amvet members, military personnel and veterans, as well as girl and boy Scouts in uniform. Those who take advantage of the offer will receive complimentary admission during that hour.
In addition, a portion of the event proceeds are to benefit the Dowling College School of Aviation and its scholarship program.
"At this time in our nation's history, America's armed forces have never been more appreciated. We are so proud to be able to allow Long Islanders to see, touch and learn about military equipment and to interact with the heroes who defend our liberty at home and overseas," said John Caracciolo, President of Strong Island Events, producer of the event.
One of the event's main sponsors is the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, a testament to the event's mission to "Honor, Educate & Inspire."
Event features will include: Military Heroes * The USAF "Crossing Into The Blue" Tour * An F-16 Flight Simulator * A Mid-Air Refueling Simulator * An Extreme Equilibrium Simulator * Mock Parachute Drops * Satellite Systems Displays * Interactive Kiosks * A State-of-the-Art USAF Movie Theater * MP Brigades * Humvees * Military Weapons Displays * Uniformed Soldiers * Memorabilia & Souvenirs * Live Music and Much More!
The U.S. Air Force brings its "Cross Into The Blue" Tour, a public awareness and recruiting campaign _ to the Long Island Freedom Festival showcasing superior technology, a state-of-the-art movie theater trailer and interactive thrill rides which make the Air Force truly unique.
Entitled "Cross Into The Blue" to mirror the national marketing initiative of the U.S. Air Force, the tour will stop in nearly 60 cities between October 9, 2003 and September 30, 2004. Three customized, 53-foot trailers housing an authentic F-16 Fighting Falcon, giant movie screen, interactive elements and large-scale activities, will log a total of 120,000 miles traveling to recognized city events, air shows and high schools throughout the country in hopes of providing Americans an up-close, inside peek at the U.S. Air Force.
The "Cross Into The Blue" Tour brings various Air Force "experiences" to life, including "spatial disorientation" pilots may encounter, refueling a jet in mid- air, interacting with Air Force technology and simulating a special ops parachute jump. "Our one-of-a-kind, grassroots 'Cross Into The Blue' Tour provides the perfect backdrop to talk with those who might want to share a future with us," said U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Dutch Remkes. "We put this vehicle in motion to educate recruiting prospects about Air Force benefits, career opportunities and specialized training in aircraft maintenance, space and missile operations, air traffic control operations and other fields, presented in a way that would be informative, yet fun and entertaining at the same time."
A few of the features of "Cross Into the Blue" include: Air-to-Air Refueling Game, simulates a mid-air refueling experience; Extreme Equilibrium Ride, simulates "spatial disorientation" pilots may encounter; Special Ops Jumper, virtual reality game that simulates a parachute jump; a state-of-the-art Movie Theater Trailer, a three and a half minute, high-powered audio visual experience about today's Air Force, shown on a 6'x14' movie screen with digital surround sound; an F-16 Fighting Falcon, visitors can peer into the cockpit of an actual F-16 fighter jet, which measures 49 feet 5 inches long, stands 16 feet tall and has a wing span of 32 feet 8 inches; Trivia Game Kiosks, built into the side of the movie theater trailer features trivia questions designed to educate visitors about today's U.S. Air Force and a GPS Satellite Display which showcases the detail and intricacies of a GPS satellite.
The "Long Island Freedom Festival 2004" takes place this weekend at Dowling College's Brookhaven Campus, 1300 William Floyd Parkway, from 11 am until dusk each day. Tickets are $8 per person and are available at the event with free admission to all VFW and American Legion members, military personnel and veterans as well as girl and boy Scouts in uniform from 10 am - 11 am each day. The event is sponsored by Dowling College, Best Buy, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, and Miller Lite. For more information, visit www.box1071.com www.party105.com or www.985thebone.com
