CHARLESTON AFB, S.C. –
Welcome back Team Charleston! I hope you were able to enjoy the holiday season, spend time with family and friends, and catch up on some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
You faced many challenges and achieved numerous successes during 2007, and I know 2008 will bring many of the same challenges of the past year as we continue to fight the Global War on Terror.
When I first took over command, I listed three focus areas: Airmen and their families, Mission, and Community. This week, I would like to focus on Airmen and family.
Airmen are our most precious and valuable asset, because it takes Airmen to put the life in airlift. Taking care of Airmen is taking care of the mission at the same time. Part of taking care of Airmen is taking time to make their paperwork right -- performance reports, award packages, medals, etc., to recognize them for their accomplishments.
Supervisors at every level are charged with the responsibility to ensure your people know their role in the Global War on Terror. Make sure they are trained and equipped to do their mission ... and remember to submit deserving individuals for quarterly and annual awards and nominate them for the other myriad of recognition programs we have in the Air Force.
Our people have a record for being the first to the fight in many areas, having won numerous Air Mobility Command and Air Force-level awards year after year. And this year is no different! The 437th Aerial Port Squadron has been named a finalist for the 2007 AF Large Air Terminal Unit of the Year Award; Todd Martin is a runner up for the 2007 AF Outstanding Civil Engineer Civilian Manager of the Year Award; and Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Easton is the 2007 AMC Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Maintenance Supervisor Manager of the Year. Congratulations for these outstanding accomplishments!
This is just the tip of the iceberg, and I am sure more awards will follow as they are announced. This is an excellent example of taking care of our Airmen.
Taking care of our Airmen also means taking care of their families. This Air Expeditionary Force cycle, almost 900 of our military members are working downrange. Supervisors should make sure Airmen are able to spend as much time as possible with their families before they leave and when they get back. While they are gone, commanders, first sergeants and supervisors at all levels are responsible for checking up on families and loved ones so Airmen can focus on their mission in the area of responsibility.
Our Airman and Family Readiness Flight provides military members and their families with the skills needed to deal with the demands of military life. They have support programs for spouses, work with the Air Force Aid Society to provide child care and car maintenance programs and offer briefings on post-deployment issues.
Additionally, the AMC Phoenix Spouse Program is designed to assist commanders with ensuring their members' families are taken care of from the moment they step on the base until they depart. Phoenix Spouses promotes individual, family and unit readiness. They are a year-round support system that encourages peer-to-peer support. They meet the vital needs of spouses to have an informal sounding board through an informal network.
Please make sure family members know about these programs so we can give them the best support possible while their spouse or loved one is deployed.
And finally, yesterday we recognized the base's best at the quarterly awards ceremony. I was pleased to see so many of you there supporting your unit's nominees. Congratulations to all the group nominees and to the wing-level winners -- you can all be very proud of your accomplishments.
Team Charleston - Take the Fight to the Enemy!