CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Wow! It is hard to believe that in December 1978 a young, bright-eyed country boy from southern Missouri was about to embark upon a journey that would not end until more than 28 years later.
The journey would take him to numerous countries around the world as well as to almost every state in the union. Along the way, he would develop friendships that will last for a lifetime and he would experience things and go places he had only read about in books and as a youngster. He would meet the love of his life and they would be blessed with two wonderful sons. He would grow personally and professionally as he took advantage of every opportunity that came his way. However, it would all end here at the 437th Airlift Wing where he would have the best job at the best base working with the best Airmen, civil servants and contractors in the Air Force.
Team Charleston, I can't find the words to express how I truly feel about each and every one of you, so let me simply say "thank you." Thank you because you have made the last five years of my career the most memorable ones.
Don't get me wrong; all of my assignments have been great and I could share some awesome stories about the fantastic things that occurred during each assignment, but none can compare to this one. Thank you for making it so easy for me to get up every morning and come to work. Because of you, I looked forward to each day and the new things I would undoubtedly experience as we delivered hope and freedom while saving lives.
Thank you because while the challenges were plenty and often meant long hours at work away from family and friends, you found a way to overcome each one. Thank you because each day I was blessed with the opportunity to interact with some of the best men and women in this great nation. I worked with people who understood that to continue to enjoy the freedom and liberty we have been so graciously blessed with means that sometimes sacrifices must be made. I'd also like to thank you because every day you redefined what it meant to be a world-class organization. You never accepted status quo, you always looked to make your processes better by enhancing the work environment and increasing our combat capability.
As I change careers and transition into the next phase of life, I would ask a couple of things of you. First, continue to be great Wingmen. Continue to hold each other accountable to ensure you make smart, responsible choices -- the kind that true professionals make each and every day.
Second, know that you are and will forever be a member of the greatest air, space and cyberspace force in the world, but understand membership comes with a price. You pay that bill by continuing to develop your own personal warrior ethos which in-turn will ensure our Airmen culture will flourish and mature.
Third, maintain that passion for service which has become synonymous with Team Charleston. It is that passion which will sustain you through the good times and the bad, through the lengthy deployments and family separations.
Fourth, continue to be active in our local community. I really mean it when I say there is no better place from which to serve this nation than South Carolina's "Low Country." The local community supports us as well, if not better, than any I have been a part of during my Air Force career. Never take that for granted and always do your part to ensure it continues to flourish.
Finally, for those in supervisory and leadership positions, please do your best to take care of the next generation of young, bright-eyed Airmen who become members of Team Charleston. Remember your legacy will be defined by how successful they are when they assume those leadership roles we are now fulfilling.
As I like to tell our first-term Airmen when I speak to them during their transition time at the First Term Airman's Center, only God truly knows what my future will hold, however, I do know I will rest comfortably at night because there are some great warriors who will now be defending my freedom. As I see the Globemaster III flying overhead, I will always be able to breathe easy because I know my Wingmen are watching over me.
So again, thank you for allowing my wife, Cynthia, and our sons, Mel II and Marquel, and me to be a part of your family. We really could not have asked for a better close to our military career.
You will always be a part of our family and you will always hold a special place in our hearts. May God continue to richly bless each and every one of you and may he continue to protect and keep you and your families as you continue to save lives and deliver freedom around the world. No one does it better; you really are simply the best.
Team Charleston - One family, one mission, one fight!