CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Family.
For each of us, that word means different things. For some, it means a wife and two children at home. For others, it may mean parents or grandparents. Some might even think of their group of best friends as a family.
No matter who is a part of your "family," my goal as your new commander is to ensure that you are given the opportunity to serve your nation without your family having to deal with an inordinate amount of stress. That is not an easy task given our profession and we'll never be able to take all of your worries away, but we're going to try our best.
The mission of Team Charleston is to "Take the Fight to the Enemy" and sometimes that means leaving our family for extended periods of time. More than 500 of our approximately 4,000 Airmen are deployed around the world right now. During some of our peak deployment times, more than a fourth of our military members are working downrange. We're going to do everything we can to make sure you're able to spend as much time as possible with your families before you leave and when you get back. While you're gone, commanders, first sergeants and supervisors at all levels will be charged with checking up on your loved ones so you can focus on your mission in the area of responsibility.
Our Airman and Family Readiness Flight is here to equip military members and their families with the skills needed to deal with these unique demands of military life. They have support programs for spouses, work with Air Force Aid to provide special child care and car maintenance programs and offer briefings on post-deployment issues as well. Please make sure your family members know about these types of programs so we can give them the best support possible in your absence.
As our nation continues to fight the Global War on Terrorism, our Airmen are being asked to do more than ever. Everyday Airmen fly C-17 missions over hostile territory. Our support Airmen are being asked to drive convoys through the deadliest roads in the world, document Army operations in support of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and some come face-to-face daily with improvised explosive devices designed to do nothing more than kill or maim us. We're aware of the incredible amount of stress this puts on our Airmen and their loved ones. Our team will do whatever it takes to make sure your adjustment back into your family and your home station workcenter goes as smoothly as possible.
Finally, I'm putting a real emphasis on reducing waste in our processes so we're more efficient and can enjoy the time we're here in Charleston. We've already got a good start with a solid Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century program. Continue to find better ways of doing business so we don't feel like we're operating at a surge capacity every day. Focusing on better ways to accomplish our mission will give us more time to spend with our families.
Being in the Air Force is tough and being a part of an Air Force family can be even tougher. Please take advantage of all the family support programs we have to offer. Deployments are especially challenging for families of our junior Air Force members. Whomever you call part of your family is important to you and therefore important to me. Continue to focus on your families and the mission will take care of itself.
Take the Fight to the Enemy!