MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- I’ve been a proud member of the 908th Airlift Wing since I reported in July of 2004, minus a 43-month period from April 2015 through September 2018. From the very first day, the people in the 908th made me feel like I was home, so I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to retire as a member of the wing.
The 908th is a special place full of special Airmen who have a well-earned reputation of executing the mission with precision and excellence, especially when it matters most. This is not just my biased, hometown opinion; many times over the years leaders from across Air Force Reserve Command and the Air Force enterprise at large have stated that the 908th is setting the standard for others to follow.
The last four years have been very, very busy for the wing, and you have performed exceptionally well. You followed Lt Gen Healy’s urging and learned how to operate at a high level through COVID. We had to because we were preparing our Airmen for the largest deployment in wing history in 2021. At the same time, we started preparing for what has become the hardest and most complicated re-missioning the Air Force has ever taken on.
Through it all, you performed exceptionally well. You proved that with a deliberate and methodical plan you could not only operate through COVID, but increased operations tempo to meet the need. Consequently, our deployers were very well-prepared for combat, in some cases better than ever before. With the leadership of the Program Integration Office, we have led three major commands through our demanding re-mission.
I want to thank you for all your hard work, determination and sacrifice that resulted in the aforementioned accomplishments and the accolades the wing has received. It has been an honor of a lifetime to be a member of the 908th Airlift Wing.
Thank you for allowing me to serve alongside you.