CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Wow! Sometimes words cannot truly express my pride when I see you in action. What an awesome visit for our AMC commander and his wife. It is so easy to brag to my fellow command chiefs and once again you proved why. Everyone did a fantastic job in preparing for the visit and it showed from wheels up at Pope AFB to the time of their departure.
Having the opportunity to tag along as General McNabb toured the base we witnessed true professionals in action at every stop. When given the opportunity, every member of Team Charleston stood tall and proudly told their story and what wonderful stories they were. While it would be difficult to identify everyone he met, I do want to acknowledge those who briefed him on several of the successful AFSO 21 initiatives underway.
At the 437th Aerial Port Squadron he was briefed by outstanding "Port Dawgs" like 1st Lt. Deanna Minor, 2nd Lt. Chris Jacobson, Master Sgt. Mike Kravalis, Master Sgt. Eugene Moore, Staff Sgt. Justin Halterman and Airmen 1st Class Chase Schexnayder, Aldea Hersel and Mitsuko Knobloch. They set the stage for what was to be an extremely informative afternoon. From there it was on to the flightline where maintenance and logistics readiness professionals like Capt. Arthur Shields, Tech. Sgt. Daniel Colon, and Airman 1st Class Brian Johnson talked about the success their respective units have achieved since implementing AFSO 21 initiatives.
Members of the Security Forces Raven team were next to showcase some of the tactics which make them so vital to our mission. Tech. Sgts. Carl McCoy and Heather Fuqua provided superb briefings. In addition Senior Airman Jake Viveiros narrated a scenario in which the Ravens would have to engage a potential threat to an aircraft using the 315th Airlift Wing's mini C-17 as the target. As he did so, Staff Sgts. Matthew Pease, Tom Beaudrie, Matt Miller, Richard Guay and Senior Airman Brien Oxford demonstrated how they would neutralize the situation; great job! Speaking of the mini C-17, I must also recognize Master Sgt. John Monical and Staff Sgt. Chris Fabel, 315th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, for being available as General McNabb saw it for the first time.
Finally, hats off to Maj. Geoff Graze, 15th Airlift Squadron; Maj. Bob Reimer, 17th Airlift Squadron; Tech. Sgt. Patricia McClure and Kevin Cooper, 437 APS, for doing superb jobs discussing the aircraft launch sequence Lean event and the aerial port expeditor initiative.
I will close by congratulating everyone recognized during our February promotion ceremony; what a special day for you. Hopefully you celebrated with your loved ones, if not, do so this weekend. Thank you to Master Sgt. Yeckel, 437th Medical Group, and his team for putting everything together. You definitely made it special for our promotees.
Have a wonderful weekend! Team Charleston - One family, one mission, one fight!