SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. — The Military Appreciation Picnic was back in action at Shaw Air Force Base on Friday for the first time since 2019.
Austin Knight has been at Shaw for only three months, but he's already found a community.
"I love it. I love being here in Shaw because of the community," Knight said. "It’s amazing. I love just being around other people, getting to know people, especially since I’m new to the area."
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Cameron Pankowski has been at Shaw for five weeks. She's only there temporarily, but she's stationed at Joint Base Andrews in Washington.
"It’s really nice because we don't do anything like this at Andrews, so it’s fun and interesting to actually have people come together," Pankowski said. "It’s just nice like everyone being here together and seeing like the things they put together for us and having food and getting away from work for a little bit. It's a nice break."
She and the other airmen were honored with hamburgers and hotdogs at the picnic to thank them for their service. Soldiers took a break from their hard work to enjoy the food and fellowship.
Liz Fetherston, the command chief for the 20th Fighter Wing, said having such a supportive community makes the hard work worth it.
"The grind is worth it because there are people who are extremely grateful for what we’re doing every day," Fetherston said. "We have so many airmen from all walks of life. When they come here and they’re like 'What is Sumter about?’ This gives them the chance to meet the people that really support us every single day. This is one of the most amazing communities I’ve ever been a part of."
Building relationships between the base and the greater Sumter community is exactly what Chris Hardy with the Sumter Chamber of Commerce is hoping for.
"Everything that’s going on here is just one of the many ways that we say thank you to our airmen and what they mean to our community," Hardy said. "That relationship is important. It’s a partnership, it's a relationship that you have to keep going because they have rotations. People come in and out every two years or so, so you’re constantly rebuilding new relationships and sustaining those."
For Fetherston, it’s more than a thank you.
"To be able to connect with people in our community reminds them that we’re all family," she said.