US Air Force - Serving America with Pride

Last May I was selected to serve as a part of the Honorary Commander program at Fairchild Air Force Base here in Spokane, WA. The mission of the Honorary Commander program is to pair community leaders with the commanders of the different Groups and Squadrons at the base, in an effort to keep the community informed about what is happening on base. We are very fortunate to have a wing commander here at Fairchild who believes that the base is part of the community and all the Airmen are a part of our community.

I was assigned to the Command Chief as my commander. The Command Chief is the top ranking enlisted personnel on the base. The highest percentage of personnel on a base are enlisted men and women, and they are given the responsibility to keep that base open and mission ready at all times. This has been a great assignment for me, as the Command Chief has a direct line into all the Groups on base. No matter if you are in the Operations Group, Maintenance Group, Mission Support Group or Med Group there are enlisted Airmen that report to the Command Chief.

This relationship has taught me so much about the amazing people that serve our country. The high level of expectation that is placed on each member of the team, and the absolute commitment of the team it takes to produce a successful mission. I have learned about the challenges our country faces as a nation in a war with terror, and I have learned what it means to be a "Warrior First."

Fairchild Air Force Base serves many different purposes. The 92nd Air Refueling Wing of which I am matched up with has as their primary mission the on-time delivery of air refueling to other aircraft. The slogan painted on the side of the hangar summarizes it well, "No One Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas".

I am proud of out United States Armed Forces. They work very hard to defend out country and our freedom. I am especially proud of the United States Air Force and the men and women at Fairchild Air Force Base.