Job well done: Wing Airmen continue to make positive global impact, impression

  • Published
  • By Col. Stephen Goeman
  • 445th Airlift Wing commander
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Not a week goes by without receiving a phone call, an e-mail, or just an old fashioned letter detailing the exploits of our 445th Airmen. Time and time again our Airmen make lasting contributions to our nation.

The quoted text below is from the Balad commander and was addressed to Chief MasterSgt. Jacqueline Larrison of our 87th Aerial Port Squadron:

"Chief, Simply another 'jaw dropping' performance by your Aerial Port dawgs. The sheer magnitude of the dimensions/weight of this load and your clearing an item in just over a month (that took KBR 5 months) are just 'icing on the cake' of a laundry list of accomplishments during your deployment to JBB. What was more amazing was the cargo upload or the fact the C-5 actually took off without breaking down? great story, great work, great team! The inbound team has some BIG shoes to fill! AWESOME!"

Awesome indeed are the Airmen of this wing. Testimonials such as this are quite common. We could fill up the entire Buckeye Flyer each month with similar stories detailing the many successes of our Airmen. All of you have my personal thanks for the professional and superb work you do whether in a deployed location or at home station. The pace never lets up for the men and women of the 445th Airlift Wing and you rarely disappoint.

As we prepare for another summer season of events, make time to do other fun and exciting things with your families and friends. They are your number one priority and please make sure they know it. We have a full slate of military events planned over the summer season but it is imperative that you find some time to get away and decompress with those you hold dear.

From a wing perspective, we will have our Employers Day event on June 4, the C-17 Welcoming Ceremony and dinner July 8 and 9, and our wing picnic Sept. 11. These events will offer us a chance to gather together and celebrate as a team.

Our next major inspection will be the wing operational readiness inspection and is expected to occur early in 2013. We will have a wing-wide exercise this August. It is
not too soon to dust off those Airman's Manuals and start refreshing yourselves with what we all need to be prepared for.

Keep up the great work and the positive attitudes; and I hope to see many more of you out on the Kittyhawk area track on unit training assembly mornings as we all need to make fitness a priority in our individual lives.