JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Team Charleston,
The change of command for the 628th Air Base Wing and Joint Base Charleston is once again upon us. Only a short time ago I stood before you and pledged my best; for all of you and the command which I was charged with leading. My time in this unique role is almost complete. In the coming week we will gather once again to pass the leadership duties to another worthy individual. I hope the time we had together was a mutual learning experience. I know I learned from you - - more than you will ever realize. I truly believe that we have improved as a Joint Base. I do not yet know if we have been successful in all that we set out to do, however I know the path we paved is solid and true within the tenets and principles of Air Mobility Command, Navy Region South East, the United States Air Force and the United States Navy.
I have found this is a unique command comprised of vast mission sets but, frankly, it's the people who make any command a success. You produced amazing results every day by coming together for a purpose greater than any one individual. It's the spirit of teamwork, the willingness to listen to ideas other than our own and the recognition of important contributions from each and every member of our team that made this command triumphant. Our relative successes (or limitations) will be revealed after passing of time and our own introspection. Future changes with force management and mission challenges will no doubt be faced and overcome by your collective teamwork. You should take justifiable pride in all that you do and have done. You make it look easy ... and trust me when I say, I know it is not.
My final hope is that you will accept my sincerity when I say I have done my utmost to do right by you all, to honor this command and to merit the accolades the personnel of Joint Base Charleston and the Lowcountry have provided me. My colleagues, I have no doubt that many of us may cross paths again. I hold a fondness for the many relationships I have developed throughout my tenure. It has indeed been my honor to share these experiences with all of you -- the amazing Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsman, civilian staff and community leaders that exist within our great community. For those of you that are able to attend the upcoming change of command on July 14, 2015, it will be a pleasure to meet with you, to shake your hand one last time as commander and to enjoy with you the happy reflection of an arduous task well done. I never said it enough but, "Thank You" for all you do every day. I will miss you all dearly.