CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
As we say goodbye to 2009, I look back at my first year as a member of Team Charleston with both happiness and sadness.
I'm extremely proud of the accomplishments of our Airmen and of the awards our members and units have earned. Supporting two wars, keeping our fantastic base looking great, expertly maintaining C-17s used to defend our freedom and volunteering in the community are just a few of the great things our Airmen do every day. I'm sure we'll continue to receive accolades for what we accomplish, and we'll start off 2010 by recognizing a few of our brightest at the annual awards banquet. I hope to see you there.
The best part of my job has been interacting with professional Airmen who put forth amazing efforts every day. People like Gaye Adams from the 437th Medical Group who helps keep us healthy, Staff Sgt. John Busco and Senior Airman Meltem Vosika who operate our First Term Airmen Center, and Master Sgt. Steve Hart, 437th Communications Squadron first sergeant, are just a few of our professionals who make a difference for our Airmen and families. Additionally, having Tech. Sgt. Dina Maldonado serve as my executive assistant for the past year has been extremely rewarding, and I wish her the best as she moves back to her career field.
I'm saddened because we lost two Airmen assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing in motor vehicle accidents in 2009. These two members of our Air Force family were valued and loved, and their loss is still causing pain and heartache. I can only imagine what their families are going through this holiday season. Please keep them in your prayers.
I'm also deeply worried that bad decisions will have tragic consequences for us in the future; we still have Airmen who choose to drive after drinking alcohol and those who choose to drink even though they're underage. I'm counting on everyone to make responsible choices, to have a plan and to help others make the right choice not to drive while intoxicated or drink if they're underage. Frontline supervisors, get to know your Airmen and tell them how valuable they are. I'm counting on you to create a culture of responsible alcohol use and to help save lives.
In 2010, our Airmen will continue to win awards and to be recognized as we provide mobility airlift every time we're asked to haul cargo or people, by deploying when called upon and by meeting the needs of our Airmen and their families. We'll welcome new members to Team Charleston, like Col. Martha Meeker, who will be the commander of the 628th Air Base Wing, and Chief Master Sgt. Terry Greene, the incoming 437th Airlift Wing command chief. They'll keep us on the path to success by making our culture and expectations of excellence and outstanding performance even better; Team Charleston's potential is limitless, and I can't wait to see what 2010 will bring.
I hope you have a happy holiday season, a merry Christmas and a happy new year.