Preparing for the Show
Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandon Gumm of the 128th Air Refueling Wing's fire department listens as Staff Sgt. Brad Butler, U.S. Air Force Thunderbird maintenance operation command, talks about the water retrieval methods of the aircraft’s pilot in the event of a mishap during the 2011 Milwaukee Air and Water Show. The Thunderbirds are assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada, and they perform 70 shows per year; the air demonstration team was officially established in 1953. The Milwaukee Air and Water Show is a free event that took place at Milwaukee’s Bradford Beach on August 6 and 7. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Wilson / Released)