Would you like to sit inside or out?

Airman, August, 2004 by Christine L. Kunz

Where else but in a city twice the size of Switzerland can Airmen live in a house on the Pacific Ocean and still have the cultural feel of a land-locked metropolis.

Los Angeles holds many distinctions, and for many Airmen stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, it's a "place of opportunity."

Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, a cultural mecca boasting more than 300 museums and a paradise of good weather, all in one. From tourist attractions like its 72 miles of pristine coastline to Hollywood's Walk of Fame collection of stars--numbering more than 2,250 and still growing--Airmen feel this city is "the place to be."

"There are so many opportunities here," said 23-year-old 2nd Lt. Jennifer Berger, a space systems project engineer who has been stationed at the base for a little more than a year. "No matter your interest, there's something for you."

This single native from Lima, Ohio, took quick advantage of being in a place where living on the beach, usually reserved as a luxury, is actually a way of life. Everyday she wakes up to the sounds of crashing waves and can step outside her apartment to the warmth of sand between her toes.

"I was definitely attracted to the beach," she admitted. "I never thought I'd get into something like surfing, being from Ohio. When I was first stationed here I used to go surfing every weekend. That took me to different parts of central and southern California. I've seen a lot of the coastline, from Pismo Beach to San Clemente, including the exclusive spots available to military members on Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. Another unique aspect of being stationed at L.A. is the opportunity to experience a great variety of live music. Anywhere you go you can find great live music."

No matter where you go in the beach cities, there's something for everyone--biking or rollerblading along the beach on the cement-lined "strand," or letting the kids play in the sand while you sip drinks and watch the sun set over the California coast.

But not only does Los Angeles boast its beaches, it's also the city of motion pictures and television shows and the place for everything cool and hip. For many new here, there's one landmark that says "Hollywood" to the world--literally--the white letters of the Hollywood sign, perched atop Mount Lee, the tallest peak in the city.

So in a place where the sun shines 292 days of the year, Airman 1st Class Jwon Wiggins agrees it's not only the beach that attracts people.

"I looked forward to coming here," the 20-year-old medical technician said. "They have every type of food and great clubs. I even skied for the first time." Even though Airman Wiggins doesn't live on the beach, he loves his housing arrangement at the enlisted dorms at Fort MacArthur [See "California Dream," June 1999].

"I have my own kitchen, my own bathroom and a walk-in closet. This is the best dorm I've been in."

Even after your feet touch every grain of sand along the beach or every star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and you've bought an autographed movie poster of your favorite film, you'll find you aren't finished with Los Angeles yet.

"I had misconceptions of L.A.," said 1st Lt. David Miller, a 32-year-old husband and father. "I had in mind what was in the movies. You realize there are bad parts, but L.A. is no different than any other city."

The space-based infrared systems international affairs project officer, stationed at the base for two years, is happy that he can take his family to the beach on Thanksgiving Day and actually swim.

"You will find you'll enjoy it here," he said. "There's just so much to do. Everything's outside. The first questions you always seem to get asked [at a restaurant] are 'how many' and 'inside or out?' That's pretty cool."

Los Angeles Entertainment Liaison Office

Did you know the Air Force also has men and women in blue serving in Hollywood? The Air Force's Los Angeles Entertainment Liaison Office sits atop the 12th floor of the Oppenheimer Building in the heart of Hollywood.

This seven-person office directly serves the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs with a mission of defending the Air Force image in motion pictures and television, and sending military messages onto the big screen [See "Flights, Camera, Action!" June 1997].

"We project and protect [the Air Force]," said Chuck Davis, chief of the television and motion picture branch of this public affairs field office.

Since most young men and women get their impressions of the Air Force from pop culture products, Mr. Davis said, it's important for the Air Force to have a role in motion pictures and television.

Walking into this office is like walking into a production studio. Movie posters or "one sheets" as industry people call them, adorn the walls, showcasing movies the Air Force has assisted with. For example, crossing the length of the conference room wall is the movie poster for the NBC mini-series "Asteroid," and "Air Force One's" poster is splashed across the opposite wall.

For Master Sgt. Paul Firman, an Air Force broadcaster for 16 years, coming to the office a year and a half ago was a different move in his career, but one he felt was very important.