A thank you from the commander

  • Published
  • By Brig. Gen. David Harris
  • 96th Test Wing commander
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  I want to take a minute to simply say...Thank You.  I'm constantly amazed by the effort, enthusiasm and dedication each of you bring to the mission every day.  Your passion is truly inspiring.

At the end of September, I spent the evening with our comptroller and contracting teams as they worked around the clock and into the early morning hours to close out fiscal-year 14.  While most of our wing slept, they meticulously closed out the books to ensure we met all federal regulations and kept the resources flowing to all of our mission areas. 

Recently, I spent the afternoon with the Airmen from 96th Maintenance Group's Red AMU.  On a hot humid day, we crawled underneath an F-15 and changed a hydraulic pump.  That's not an easy job; yet, our maintainers continue to make it look almost effortless as they work to keep our fleet mission capable. 

I also met with our firefighters from 96th Civil Engineer Group and participate in their fire response training.  Their professionalism and ability to mitigate risk while battling a chaotic environment is awe inspiring. 

I also had the opportunity to work with our security forces teams as a Gate Guard Augmentee.  In fact, I was able to greet many of you who entered through the West gate that morning.  From the pre-dawn hours to the end of their shifts, the pride our Defenders take in protecting our people, our base and our mission is phenomenal. 

I see your pride and passion every day, from every group.  For that, I'm truly honored and humbled to work with such an outstanding team.

As we move forward in the next fiscal year, I simply ask for your continued focus.  During her commander's call, Gen. (Janet) Wolfenbarger reiterated a very important point -- we are all in a support role.  Regardless of whether we work behind a desk, in a lab, out on the range or in the cockpit, we are all here to support the warfighter, today and in the future. 

We must continue to keep this perspective as we approach each day.  I recognize there are many distractions with sequestration and resource constraints that compete for our attention.  We must not let those distractions deter us from executing the mission.  There are countless men and women around the world who are depending on all of us. 

Thank you for everything you do for our great Nation each and every day.  I am honored to serve with all of you.