Coronavirus Again Cancels RI National Guard Air Show

QUONSET, RI — After a tentative date was scheduled for June, the Rhode Island National Guard announced this week that this year's Open House Air Show will again be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Maj. Gen. Christopher Callahan, the Rhode Island National guard's Adjutant General, said it was a difficult decision to cancel the event that means so much to the public.

"We explored a number of alternatives, but after careful consideration we determined there was no safe way to host this beloved event and deliver that same experience that makes it so cherished," Callahan said.

This is the second year in a row that the annual event was canceled due to the pandemic. The decision was made by National Guard leadership to allow for more focus "on their continued commitment to the COVID-19 response and overall mission readiness of the force." Over the past year, the National Guard has been a major player in the state's COVID-19 response, staffing test and vaccination sites, helping with communication and quarantine information efforts and more. The "unprecedented demand" is expected to continue throughout the spring and summer months, the force said in a statement.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to you, our community, in the state’s response to
COVID-19," Callahan continued. "As your Rhode Island National Guard, we continue to provide
training to civilian medical personnel, staffing various call centers, collaborating with community
leaders to expand testing to more communities, assist with the COVID-19 vaccination efforts,
and a number of other critical functions. In addition, we must ensure our resources are acutely
focused and ready for our mission as the primary combat reserve of the Army and Air Force,
while mitigating the spread of this virus. We are grateful for your unwavering support and
understanding, and we will get through this together."

This will be the fourth time the air show has been canceled over its nearly three-decade history. The first was in 2013 due to budget constraints, and the second in 2019 because the National Guard anticipated a high number of deployments.