Sake, sauerkraut and the American dream: Pope Airfield showcases 20 countries
POPE ARMY AIRFIELD — Polynesian dancers swayed to Hawaiian music inside one of the 43rd Air Mobility Opertaions Group buildings Friday on Pope Army Airfield.
During another moment, bagpipes played, while a crowd sampled a variety of international cuisines like Columbian passion fruit juice, Portuguese custard and Polish sauerkraut.
Walking through the gathering wearing a red-trimmed black ruffle dress was Senior Airman Marta Burgos, who is in the 43rd Comptroller Squadron, 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group.
Burgos joined the Air Force in 2021 after working as a Department of Defense contractor at Naval Station Rota in her home country of Spain.
Her attire Friday during the 3rd Annual Pope World Tour was the flamenco dress native to Spain.
Burgos created the event in 2022, inspired by missing her hometown’s annual Malaga city fair, a weeklong event that celebrates the city’s 1487 recapture by Catholic monarchs Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand II.
“I thought ‘What if I bring that here to Pope,’” Burgos said. “In the Air Force, we are so rich in diversity and culture. So, I was like what about if we do a festival where we all can represent where we’re from, our culture and share with the rest to learn.”
Guinea
Sharing the culture of Guinea at Friday’s Pope World Tour was Staff Sgt. Aisatta Balde, who is in the 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group.
Balde joined the Air Force in 2012, which she said she considers a lifesaver.
The job provides a steady paycheck and benefits for her and her children, like insurance and a way to pay for college, Balde said.
Her decision to join the military was not the first bold life choice she’s made.
When she was 21 years old, Balde emigrated with her father from Conakry, Guinea, in West Africa, to the U.S.
“It was chasing the American dream,” she said.
While Balde appreciates the opportunities the Air Force and living in the U.S. has provided, she still has love for where she’s from and being able to share with others.
“It’s not what you see on TV. There’s a lot of culture. It’s beautiful,” she said.
French is the primary language along with specific dialects, Balde said.
The majority of the country identifies with the Muslim faith, and Ramadan, a month of fasting of mediation and Eid al-Adha, a time marked with prayer, gift-giving, festive meals, guests and social gatherings, are big holidays, she said.
A typical meal is attieke, which is made from cassava and eaten with fish or other meat. Rice is also another staple along with a potato leaf sauce, she said.
Another difference Balde said she’s noticed between her home country and the U.S. is that doors to Guinea homes are always open.
“So, you know all your neighbors,” she said.
Despite the differences, Balde said she loves being in the Air Force.
“There are so many different cultures and diversity,” she said. “I just want to learn, and the people are amazing.”
Japan
Standing beneath artificial cherry blossoms, 1st Lt. Alicia Stanton wore a blue floral yukata kimono Friday as she poured sake, a rice wine, and served samples of yakisoba, a stir-fried noodle dish, both native to Japan.
“We have origami arts and crafts and a tori, which is a very famous gate structure in Japan that people go to, and it represents peace and all different types of things they base their culture around,” said Stanton, who is in the 43rd Force Support Squadron, 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group.
Stanton’s mother is originally from Okinawa, which is a Japanese prefecture, Stanton said. “I spent many summers and even years there growing up,” she said.
Her mother met Stanton’s father, who was also in the Air Force, more than 20 years ago in Okinawa and moved to the U.S.
In Japan, Stanton said, holidays and events include Obon in August, which honors ancestors, and Kodomo no hi in May, which celebrates children.
At Friday’s celebration, Stanton said she was glad to share her culture with others.
“It shows where you individually come from,” she said. “We all work for one mission, but we have such different backgrounds, so it’s really awesome to share.”
Celebrating culture
Col. Allen Morris Jr., commander of the 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group, said that when he heard about Friday’s event, he was interested in attending.
“It’s not something I’ve heard any other base doing,” Morris said.
Other installations celebrate annual heritage months, like Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month or Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, but for everyone “from all different walks of life and origins,” to come together one day and celebrate was impressive, he said.
“This is bigger than I expected. It lives up to the hype ...,” Morris said. “My family always says food is love. So you walk in here ... people spent their time and own money and took the care of creating something to share because they care. It’s welcoming.”
Chief Master Sgt. Jerry Brammer, the senior enlisted leader for the 43d Air Mobility Operations Group, said the event was a celebration of culture within the military.
“You get to try things that you may not even know about and didn’t know existed until today, and you get to share something with people that maybe you work beside every day, but you don’t know that piece about them,” Brammer said.
Col. Jason Wolff, deputy group commander, said celebrating diversity like at Friday’s event can also be about discovering similarities and learning from others.
“We all work better together,” Wolff said.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Spain inspired Pope Army Airfield event on Fort Liberty
