CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Hello, Team Charleston. It has been another busy and successful week for every member of the team. I spent the majority of the time at Air Mobility Command headquarters interacting with enlisted Airmen who competed for AMC's Outstanding Airmen of the Year honors. What a wonderful week for them and their spouses. Let me tell you, they are a phenomenal group who will, without a doubt, represent us and the command extremely well as they compete at the Air Force level.
As I failed to do this last week, let me take this opportunity to congratulate some special groups of Airmen. The first group is comprised of those Airmen who were honored during our monthly wing promotion ceremony March 30. Twenty-nine exceptional Airmen walked across the stage and were recognized by their families, friends and unit leadership for doing what it took to attain that next stripe. As Colonel Harrison mentioned at the end of the ceremony, it is not just about what they have done in their past, but more importantly, what will be expected of them in the future. There is no doubt in my mind they will continue to lean forward to provide strong leadership and followership as we continue to fight and win the Global War on Terrorism.
Let me also congratulate those Team Charleston junior NCOs who completed the three-day NCO Professional Enhancement Seminar last week. I had the honor of speaking with them on the last day of the course and they are an exceptional group of NCOs. I know they understand the challenges we face as we recapitalize our force. They also understand that strong leaders will be needed to help us forge ahead. Let me offer a word of thanks to the supervisors and commanders who cleared the way for them to attend the course. It was a commitment on your part and you will be happy to know that your investment in them will pay huge dividends now and in the future.
The final group of warriors I wish to congratulate and highlight this week are the Airmen who were recognized last Tuesday during the First Sergeants Diamond Sharp ceremony. Senior Airman Jason Hitchcock, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; Airman 1st Class Matt Blake, 14th Airlift Squadron; and Airman 1st Class Angelo McGee III, 437th Logistics Readiness Squadron; were selected by their respective first sergeants for being a cut above the rest and for going above and beyond to help their duty sections and units get the mission accomplished. Thank you all for a job well done.
Finally, last week's Airmen's Appreciation dinner at the Chapel was a huge success. I had the pleasure of stopping by for a quick bite of food and some great conversation with several of our dormitory residents. Thank you to our superb Chapel staff for being gracious hosts and for providing the main entrees we all enjoyed. Let me also offer a very special thank you to retired Chief Master Sgt. David Ferguson who spent quite a few hours preparing many of those tasty entrees, Master Sgt. Banetta McDaniels, 437th Operations Support Squadron, for taking on the team leader role this month and everyone else who pitched in to make it a success.
Team Charleston - One family, one mission, one fight!