Upcoming Reunion 2025
Brothers and Friends,
We are ready to gather once again in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Nov 10 -17, 2025 for our 25th reunion! Join us to refresh old friendships and make new ones – while we can – and together we will move our AC-119 legacy and heritage just a bit closer to the daylight. We have a great reunion package at Fort Walton Beach’s beautiful The Island Resort that includes a fun Tour, Association Meeting, Banquet, and Farewell. We’ll also gather on Friday with our Legacy 18th Special Operations Test and Evaluation Squadron!
Our Hootch is open from noon Wednesday until Sunday night, with free snacks and beverages. except during our Banquet and Farewell BBQ.
On Thursday, join the Naval Aviation Museum Tour at Pensacola (0800-1500), and there’s always Hootch time (0800-2200 daily), or free time (24 hours if you’re up to it :>).
On Friday, we’ll gather in the afternoon for an informal Meet & Greet with our Legacy 18th Special Operations Test and Evaluation Squadron at the Navarre Memorial Park just west of Hurlburt. No charge: hamburgers, hot dogs, beverages, etc, along with our Legacy Active-Duty Warriors and a few surprise guests. For transportation, we’ll carpool from the hotel. For this event you must register SEPARATELY from the rest of our Reunion Registration. Simply use the link in the Tour info to sign up. This event was great at our 2021 FWB Reunion and we expect the same! We’ll gather casually in the Hootch afterwards for some light desserts.
On Saturday morning we’ll hold our Association Meeting, and our Dinner Banquet in the evening with Mahi-Mahi, Pork Tenderloin, or Vegetarian options. You can note special needs on the registration.
And on Sunday our Board will meet in the morning (while the rest of you get to sleep in), and we’ll wrap up with our evening Farewell Buffet featuring a Low Country Boil!
In your free time, visit the renovated Air Memorial Park with our AC-119 Memorials at Hurlburt – open to the public. The Armament Museum is another great place to visit. Both are definitely worth a visit!
I encourage you to register early, and The Island Resort is giving us our Group Rate from the Monday before to the Monday after our Reunion! We’ll send updates on “Who Is Coming” to help you decide . We’ll provide updates in Flashes and Firing Circle, and information is also on our Association’s Website and Facebook page. I hope to see you ALL there!
Yours In True Brotherhood,
Association President, Bill Petrie
AC-119 Gunship Reunion: November 12 - 16, 2025
Use this link to reserve a room and register for the AC-119 Reunion at Fort Walton Beach
The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach
Our all-inclusive Reunion Rate is $164.20 for double Queen rooms (you can request a King, based on availability), and includes free Breakfast buffet for up to 2 guests per room, free parking and high-speed internet, availability Monday, November 10th thru Monday, November 17th, 2025. The resort fee of $29 is waived for rooms booked in our group block. But, you MUST Reserve by October 20th for our guaranteed rate. Since you can cancel without charge up to 48 hours prior to your reservation check-in date, reserve your room now to guarantee you get our Reunion rate. You can also upgrade to Pool View at $186 or Gulf View at $230 based on availability. For reservation changes, or after the 20th cut-off, you need to call Vanessa Blackmon at 850-337-9194 Monday-Friday 0800-1700 CST. Cancellations must be received 48 hours prior to arrival date to avoid a charge of one night’s room plus tax. Important: If you need a handicapped accessible room, you must call Venessa Blackmon for assistance, Monday-Friday 0800 to 1700 Central Time at 850-337-9194. Scoot Around rents both manual and power wheelchairs by the day and week. Call (888) 441-7575 or visit www.scootaround.com for details or to reserve one.
Reunion Schedule
NOTE: online registrations close October 13th! After that day, latecomers can contact Doug Wohlgamuth to register. He’ll provide instructions and a form to mail with your check to AFR.
Schedule of Events *Bold = Ticketed Event*
Thursday, November 13
NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM TOUR DESCRIPTION
Pensacola, Florida is home to the National Naval Aviation Museum, which captures naval aviation’s entire heritage with over 150 planes representing the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Soar with the Blue Angels in the dazzling seven-story glass and steel atrium. The West Wing is devoted almost entirely to WWII carrier aviation and showcases a full-size replica of the USS Cabot Carrier Island and flight deck along with aircraft such as the Corsair, Avenger, and Hellcat, among others. While there, you can enjoy flight simulators and IMAX type films for extra fees.
Enjoy lunch on your own at Cubi Café. Please note: seating is limited and for faster service we highly suggest that not everyone goes to lunch at the same time.
NOTE: The Museum is kept very cool, so a jacket is recommended. There is also a limit of one hydraulically lifted scooter or wheelchair per handicap accessible bus, and the combined weight of the passenger and motorized wheelchair or scooter may not exceed 500 lb due to lift limitations. If you use a scooter or motorized wheelchair but can climb the steps to board the bus, either you and/or a person travelling with you must be able to put the scooter or wheelchair in the bus’s luggage compartment. Due to liability issues, drivers and tour guides cannot assist with scooters or motorized wheelchairs.
8:00am board bus, 3:00pm back at hotel
$72/Person includes bus and guide. Lunch is on your own.
Tour Buses will load and unload at the front of the hotel Lobby, and Guests should meet in the Lobby.
Please be at the bus loading location at least 10 minutes prior to departure.
Driver and Guide gratuities are not included in the tour price and are at the discretion of the individual.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14
NAVARRE MEMORIAL PARK – MEET AND GREET
IMPORTANT: this event is separate from the rest of the AFR Registration.
Our 18th SOTES Legacy Squadron plans to host an informal Meet & Greet Friday afternoon at the Navarre Memorial Park, just west of Hurlburt, with burgers, hot dogs, beer, sodas, etc. There is no charge for this event! We did this several years ago and it was fantastic! It also provides an opportunity to stop by the Hurlburt Air Memorial Park, which is now open to the public. If the 18th SOTES deployment pace impacts their participation, we will still meet there to begin our Reunion Events.
Start time will be 2 pm and we plan to wrap up about 5 pm.
Transportation will be via Carpools, and we plan to gather in the Hootch afterward.
To register for our Meet & Greet, use this online link to provide the Names and info for those who will attend: Reunion 2025 – Navarre Meet & Greet Registration – AC-119 Gunship Association
Silent Auction
If you’d like to contribute, things that fit in luggage work well. If you have an item you think needs to be bid upon as an Active auction item, please email Gus at [email protected] and he’ll coordinate with our Auction Team on whether it will be a Silent or Active auction item.
Transportation
- Airlines: Allegiant, American, Delta, Southwest, Sun Country Airlines, & United fly into Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS).
- Car: Parking at the hotel is free with hotel booking.
- RVs/Campers: Hurlburt (850-797-0103) and Eglin (850-883-1243) FamCamps: no reservations but call ahead; Geronimo RV Resort (850-424-6801); and Destin West RV Resort (850-200-4533).