CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Good morning, Team Charleston! Let me start this week by saying thank you. Not necessarily to one particular person or group of people, but to all of you. Not because you have performed some extraordinary feat or reached some previously considered unreachable milestone, but for what you do each and every day. You ensure that when called upon, we are ready and able to deliver and you do it better than any other team I have been associated with. You truly are "simply the best" warriors and most professional Airmen in our Air Force and I am honored to be a member of the team.
Earlier in the week I was honored to spend the day with Airman 1st Class Chris Rapp, a loadmaster with the 14th Airlift Squadron. Chris was recently selected for promotion to Senior Airman below-the-zone and it is obvious why his supervisor and commander deemed him worthy of consideration. As my shadow, we spent the entire day getting to know each other and exchanging ideas on how to be better Airmen and leaders. For someone with such a brief tenure in the Air Force, he has a tremendous grasp on what we do. Why do I enjoy my job so much? It is because each and every day I get to interact with great Airmen like him. By the way, if you see Airmen Rapp anytime soon, wish him a belated "Happy Birthday;" he celebrated his 21st birthday on the day we hung out together.
Not long ago I offered a special word of thanks to one of our Airmen Against Drunk Driving volunteers for being the ultimate wingman by going above and beyond the normal call of duty. Well, I have the pleasure of doing that once again. Last weekend Staff Sgt. Joel Bundesen, 437th Maintenance Squadron, was credited with two-thirds of the saves. Of the 21 total rides given, he accounted for 14. I think that definitely falls into the category of selfless service with undoubtedly a little bit of personal sacrifice on his part.
Speaking of volunteers, we are blessed to have so many in our midst who give of their time, talents and other personal resources to help make Charleston AFB the wonderful place it is. So many base agencies rely on them, and their contributions are priceless. They are special people in my book. Their reward is the gratification that comes with helping someone else. If you know of anyone who fits that bill, give them a huge hug and tell them thank you. Also, if you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands, seek out one of those volunteer opportunities.
Finally, if you are an enlisted Airman and have not visited the My Enlisted Development Plan website and established an account, you are doing yourself a huge disservice. Information is power, and MyEDP is packed with it. Among other things, you will be able to connect with Airmen across our Air Force to discuss issues and share thoughts. Check it out and see what you have been missing, I think you will be impressed.
Have a great weekend! Team Charleston - One family, one mission, one fight!