Columbus AFB to celebrate Air Force Birthday Published Aug. 25, 2017 By Airman 1st Class Beaux Hebert 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Columbus Air Force Base will celebrate the Air Force’s 70 years of excellence during this year’s Air Force Birthday Ball. This year’s ball will start at 6 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Trotter Convention Center in Columbus, Mississippi.Social hour starts at 6 p.m. with dinner following at 7 p.m. The menu consists of beef, chicken and vegetarian options. Alcoholic beverages will be available, but can be purchased with cash only. A moment to honor and remember prisoners of war and those missing in action, a ceremonial cake cutting, and other formalities will take place throughout the evening. Maj. Gen. Mark Brown, Air Education and Training Command Deputy Commander and former 14th Mission Support Group Commander, is the guest speaker for the event. Brown’s current responsibilities include recruiting, training and educating Air Force personnel. The 41st Army Band, the “Governor’s Own,” from Jackson, Mississippi, will play a set for the formal part of the evening but after dinner, formal toasts and the guest speaker’s speech, a live DJ will play for about two hours after the formal portion of the ball.Transportation will be available throughout the night for members to ride from base to the Trotter center and back. The van will pick people up in the Columbus Club parking lot. The van will begin running at 5:15 p.m.Child care will be available for $20 per child at the Child Development Center, for children 5 years old and younger; and the Youth Center, for children 6 years old and older. Register children by Sept. 13 by calling the CDC at 434-2479 or the Youth Center at 434-2504.Tickets can be purchased at http://buytickets.at/columbusafbafbirthdayball/104296. The price is $45 for all commissioned ranks, E-6 and up, and $25 for E-5/GS-7 and below. For further questions, please contact your unit representative.AF Ball Ticketing: Capt. Kelly Mangano 14th OSS: Capt. Zach Bennett14th STUS: Capt. Matt Herten37th FTS: Capt. Justin Pedone41st FTS: Capt. Conor Murphy48th FTS: Maj. Mel Hofler49th FTS: Capt. August DeRosa50th FTS: Capt. Addie Caple14th CE: Airman 1st Class Michael Findlay / Tech. Sgt. Thomas Warner14th CONS: Airman 1st Class William Johnson14th CS: Staff Sgt. Sarah Spare / Airman 1st Class Kichae Farr14th FSS: Staff Sgt. Reginald Roberts / Airman 1st Class Renaldo Sterling14th LRS: Senior Airman Henry Shultz14th MDG: Staff Sgt. Jo Jackson14th SFS: Tech. Sgt. Neil Miller / Staff Sgt. Michael Flanagan 14th WSA: Airman 1st Class Beaux Hebert