With the talk of joint basing dominating headlines at both McChord and Fort Lewis for the last couple years, it was only natural for Air Expo 2010 planners to follow suit and incorporate it into the largest event on the installation open to the public.

"That's one of the themes we're keying in on - showcasing that joint capability," said Maj. Ben Jonsson, Air Expo 2010 director.

In fact, the show's opening act is a joint demonstration. Officials plan to kick off Air Expo 2010 - which runs July 17 and 18 - with an airfield assault demo, complete with Army and Air Force air power displays as well as pyrotechnics.

Air Force A-10 Warthog bombers will start the assault, followed by a formation of Army helicopters and a three-ship formation of C-17 Globemaster IIIs, which Air Force and Army paratroopers will jump from, Jonsson said.

"What's great about it is that it shows we can work great together," he said.

The joint base theme continues with the static displays on the ground, which in addition to several aircraft will feature several Stryker and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles.

"Both of those vehicles are in the middle of the real heavy fighting and a huge piece to the joint base story," Jonsson said. "It's really a chance for us to recognize that."

Headlining the air demonstration portion of the expo is The Patriots Jet Team, a civilian owned team of four L-39 aircraft specializing in aerobatic maneuvers and their signature "tail slide," where the aircraft actually slides backward toward the ground, something not performed by any other jet demonstration team, according to the team's Web site.

"They have a phenomenal reputation," Jonsson said.

Other air demonstration acts include the MIG Fury Fighters, Jacquie B (low-level aerobatics performed in Pitts S-1T with red eagle patriotic paint) and an F/A-18 Hornet tactical demonstration, just to name a few.

"We also have some additional things in the works," Jonsson said.

The expo was an annual summertime event until 2002 when McChord officials had to cancel due to the high operations tempo the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan produced. It was held in 2003 and again in 2005, then was cancelled for the next two years.

More than 375,000 people passed through the gates for McChord Air Expo 2008, doubling previous expo figures and setting a new attendance record.

"We wanted to have the biggest show that McChord has ever put on, and we pulled out all the stops to make that happen," Maj. Doug Edwards, Air Expo 2008 director, said after the show.

While Jonsson knows near-perfection can be tough to duplicate, that's the goal nevertheless.

"It's an exciting challenge and we have a fantastic staff of folks working on it," he said. "We're going to make (Air Expo 2010) as diverse, special and well-rounded as we can. There should be something for everyone."

Information from an Air Force article was used in this story.