CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
"Attitudes are infectious, whether you have a
negative attitude or a positive attitude. I have
seen people with a positive outlook on life
literally move mountains." -- John Lawson.
John Lawson is the CEO and president of Virginia's largest building contractor and a graduate of my Alma Matter, Virginia Tech. I don't like the quote above because we went to the same school, I like it because it's so true!!
What's the most common comment I hear from visitors to the base? "Your people all have great attitudes." From the instant the gate sentry says good morning, people who live and work here are met with positive attitudes. It's the reason we are the premier airlift wing in Air Mobility Command. In this organization, we cultivate a culture of excellence that is passed down to new members of our team when they arrive.
I want to take the time to thank each and every one of you for having the right attitude. What we do is too important for us to arrive to work and not have smiles on our faces. Having a passion for what we do makes us perform better. When we interact with customers, do it with a smile in your heart, in your face and in your words. You'll be amazed at how much easier things become.
Last week, AMC commander, Gen. Duncan McNabb visited twice. U.S. Senator Jim DeMint also visited our base. They were both very impressed with the men and women of Team Charleston. One doesn't have to spend much time here to know that we're proud of what we do. It's evident in the faces of our people from the moment you enter a work center. We're saving lives and doing a phenomenal job delivering freedom all over the world. What's not to love about what we accomplish on a daily basis?
We're gearing up to show AMC what we're capable of during an Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection in October. I believe we have the right people but more importantly, I believe we have the right attitude to be successful. Being passionate about what we do and having a clear goal in mind will prepare us to do well. With every Airman and civilian believing that we'll perform better than any wing has every done, we'll do just that. We will make it happen!
I'll finish with one more quote from Mr. Lawson.
"It is important to have an overall vision of where you want to go and that helps
you see how to get there. There are an infinite number of ways to build anything.
Being able to see the vision and being able to see all of the possibilities and
figure out the best and most efficient way of doing it is tough. Nothing happens
naturally. You have to make it happen."
Please continue to make me proud. Take care of yourselves and each other. You are the best of the best!
Team Charleston -- One family, one mission, one fight!