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Selfridge Setting Stage For Celebrating Century Of Military Flying [VIDEO]

HARRISON TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - Celebrating 100 years of military aviation. Selfridge Air National Guard base in Harrison Township announcing plans for their centennial celebration for summer 2017.

Next year's celebration will have a series of outreach programs leading up to the big air show and open house next August.

Brigadier General Doug Slocum says a lot of the military's top brass will be invited to the celebration.

"Any time people can see what happens at Selfridge," said Slocum, "they all have the same reaction, if they haven't been here before it's 'wow, we had no idea.'"

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel says Selfridge is an important part of the area.

"People need to know the importance of this - not only because of ... the military defense capability," says Hackel, "but also economic opportunities are here -- to protect and grow isn't just with the defense industry that we see outside the gates here but even within the grounds itself.

"These people are people in our community who are actually serving and working here in our hometown airbase, and that connection needs to grow."

Over 3,000 civilian and military personnel are employed by Selfridge -- one of the oldest military air fields in the U.S.

The Team Selfridge Open House and Air Show will take place Aug. 19-20, 2017. [Find out more - here

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