10th Air Force showcases Reserve mission at State Fair of Texas opening weekend

Airmen with 10th Air Force connected thousands of visitors with the Air Force Reserve's people and missions during the State Fair of Texas opening weekend Sept. 25-27, 2026, at Fair Park.

Airmen assigned to the 301st Fighter Wing, 920th Rescue Wing and 655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing met fairgoers near the Hall of State, answering questions about their missions and sharing their experiences serving in the Air Force Reserve.

Representing the 920th Rescue Wing, Airmen assigned to the 305th and 306th Rescue Squadrons brought an HH-60W Jolly Green II to Fair Park. The aircraft is the Air Force Reserve's newest combat rescue helicopter, succeeding the HH-60G Pave Hawk.

The HH-60W brings advanced avionics, improved range and greater survivability to the personnel recovery mission, according to Air Combat Command. Those capabilities support the recovery of isolated personnel while improving the information available to aircrews during rescue operations.

Throughout opening weekend, fairgoers had a rare opportunity to climb aboard the helicopter, explore its interior and speak directly with the Reserve Airmen who fly and support the rescue mission. Rather than watching an aircraft pass overhead or viewing it from behind a barrier, visitors could step inside and ask questions of the people responsible for carrying out its mission.

That personal access extended beyond the helicopter. Nearby, Airmen with the 301st Fighter Wing's security forces and explosive ordnance disposal teams displayed equipment and discussed their work. Airmen with the 655th introduced visitors to the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission.

Together, the displays offered an uncommon opportunity to meet Airmen from several Reserve specialties in one place, examine the equipment they use and hear firsthand what their service involves.

"Here at the State Fair of Texas, we wanted to go as big as possible to commemorate this year's Freedom 250 celebrations," said Jason Hays, senior vice president of the State Fair of Texas. "Fairgoers were overwhelmed by the incredible display of equipment and force the Air Force brought to the grounds, making for an unforgettable experience at this year's Fair," Hays said.

The opening ceremony Sept. 25 extended that engagement into the skies over Fair Park. Following the national anthem, a B-52 Stratofortress, two F-35 Lightning II aircraft and an A-10 Thunderbolt II conducted a flyover near the Hall of State.

The B-52 crew included Airmen assigned to the 11th and 93rd Bomb Squadrons at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The 93rd is part of the 307th Bomb Wing.

The F-35s were flown by Airmen assigned to the 301st Fighter Wing's 457th Fighter Squadron in Fort Worth. The A-10 participated through the Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center in Tucson, Arizona.

"Flyovers are a time-honored military tradition," Brig. Gen. Kevin Merrill, 10th Air Force commander, said in prepared remarks for the ceremony. "They do far more than showcase our state-of-the-art aircraft; they serve as a bridge, connecting the American public with the highly skilled, professional Airmen who operate them daily."

Following the flyover, Merrill administered the oath of enlistment to nearly 100 future Airmen and Marines on the Hall of State steps, with Big Tex standing nearby.

His prepared remarks emphasized the responsibility the enlistees were accepting.

"To the young men and women standing before us: tonight, you are making a commitment greater than yourselves - a promise to serve our nation and defend its Constitution," Merrill stated in the remarks. "It is my absolute honor to lead you in taking that oath."

The ceremony and weekend displays were part of the fair's celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary, bringing military service into a public setting where visitors could meet those serving today and witness others committing to serve. The event also came ahead of a milestone for 10th Air Force. Established in 1942, the command was reactivated in the Reserve on Oct. 8, 1976, and will mark the 50th anniversary of that reactivation this October. 10th Air Force Lineage

"Tonight, we don't just celebrate 50 years of an organization; we celebrate 50 years of Reserve Airmen standing watch, ready to defend our nation's freedom at a moment's notice," Merrill said in the remarks.

Across the weekend, the aircraft and equipment provided a starting point for conversations about military service. The Airmen beside those displays gave the public a chance to hear the Air Force Reserve story directly from the people carrying out its missions.

"We look forward to growing our partnership with the Air Force and DoD in the coming years," Hays said. From visitors climbing aboard a rescue helicopter and meeting Reserve Airmen to bomber and fighter crews flying overhead and future service members raising their right hands, the opening weekend brought that story to thousands of fairgoers.

And for three days in Dallas, it all happened under the watchful eye of Big Tex.