Those anti-warplane Maineiacs sure cried the blues when they closed Loring Air Force Base there, a SAC base with fighters, bombers, and nukes.
The Thunderbird’s planes are inert, most all of the weaponry has been removed.
Yes, the have a “recruiting” role, but, so what? We’re an all-volunteer force now...a force which guarantees these old codgers the right to protest.
The Great State of Maine airshow is held at the former Brunswick NAS, which mainly (no pun intended) had an ASW role. I attended the Thunderbirds air show at Hanscom (Lexington, MA) about 20 years ago. The PA announcer made it clear that in the event of war, there was a plan to change the livery of the Thunderbird aircraft and integrate them with a specific AF unit. You always have a reserve force at the start of a war, and the Thunderbirds are essentially reserve assets used for training superior pilots and what the heck, showing off the great training to the public.