CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Team Charleston, without a doubt you are the best of the best!! It was appropriate that last week's roll call topic was recognition. Team Charleston is saving lives and delivering freedom everyday! Thanks for helping to ensure that every member of our team understands his or her role in the global war on terrorism. It is extremely important we make sure to put our deserving individuals in for quarterly and annual awards and nominate them for the other myriad of recognition programs we have in the Air Force. Our people do extremely well when we compete against our Air Mobility Command and Air Force counterparts. As the Air Force slims down, it's imperative the great accomplishments of our folks are documented so that we're able to retain the best and brightest for our service.
Speaking of the best and brightest, many Team Charleston Airmen learned they were selected for promotion this week.
The following majors were selected for promotion to lieutenant colonel: James Ackerman and Kelly Kimsey, 15th Airlift Squadron; Richard Mathews, 437th Civil Engineer Squadron; Darren Roach, 437th Communications Squadron; Michael Mitchell, 437th Operations Group; and Karl Frerking, 437th Operations Support Squadron. Capt. Jon Stanley, 437th Airlift Wing legal office, was also selected for major.
On the enlisted side, the following master sergeants will soon be a part of the top 3 percent of the corps: Brian Boone, 1st Combat Camera Squadron; Timothy Gibson and Gary Smith, 437th Aerial Port Squadron; Denny Hopkins, Charles Rucker and Kendrick Shropshire, 437 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; Mark Royal, 437 CS; Ryan Braga and Theron Nelson, 437th Mission Support Squadron; Luis Reyes, 437th Logistics Readiness Squadron; Paul Yecke, 437 OSS; and Clinton Harris and Dean Harris, 437th Security Forces Squadron.
I congratulate each and every one of you. When you sew on your new rank, please take your increased responsibility very seriously. The Air Force is counting on our senior people to do more than ever and it's vital that we keep pressing forward with the enthusiasm that Team Charleston is known for.
I'd like to congratulate retired Brig. Gen. Thomas Mikolajcik. Today, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston will dedicate their headquarters building in his honor. General Mikolajcik spent 27 years in our Air Force fighting for our country and now is fighting against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and doing a tremendous job to make ALS more visible. South Carolina U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, along with many civic leaders from the area, will be on hand for today's ceremony to honor this great patriot.
Senator DeMint will also be on base for a short visit today. He'll be speaking to our Airmen and taking questions during a town hall meeting. The senator has asked that we be "blatantly honest" with him so he can take our issues to Congress. We don't often have this kind of face time with a senator. Please take advantage of this opportunity.
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!