2007 is here...

  • Published
  • By Col. Maryanne Miller
  • 932nd Airlift Wing
Scott AFB, Ill. --  Thank you for choosing to serve your country and be a part of the
most advanced and elite fighting force in the world.

We are lethal, rapid, global, lean, highly technical and all volunteer.
We face many challenges today which require all of us to contribute in ways we might not have had to in the past.

In our young careers, prior to the first gulf war, we maintained a certain level of readiness in our units, performed our required training, and knew we would only be used if active duty really needed us.

We were not called upon to fill command billets and other key infrastructure positions during contingencies, nor take on missions outside our expertise.

We were truly used as a Reserve force and proud of that contribution.
Today we are at war and we are needed everyday in the battle against terror.

Our units are in the area of responsibility or waiting their turn in the AEF bucket. We are contributing across nearly all mission areas everyday at the operational level. We are needed at home for homeland defense, natural disasters, and contingency augmentation, and we are needed overseas for our turn in the area of responsibility..

We are everywhere, we are an operational Reserve force and, once again, very proud of our contributions. Our morale and motivation are incredibly high in the midst of unprecedented change, operational pace and restructure. We survive because volunteerism is our hallmark. In today's environment, our hallmark is being put to the test everyday, yet it remains strong. Through volunteerism we are serving in nearly every mission area.

We are serving in command billets within the AOR and in missions outside our traditional expertise. We are truly a variable and viable force needed to accomplish this nation's global requirements.

In order for us to stay viable, we must stay well-trained and ready. We must do this because we are integrated in the performance of our missions. We must also be expeditionary in our approach to the mission so we can be operationally seamless with our regular and joint partners. We must be scalable, flexible, integrated, trained, fit to fight, and ready to go.

The Air Force Reserve of today is also embarking on a time when we are gaining more non prior service into our ranks. These are 18-21 year young adults who have joined to serve their country. The regular Air Force is not responsible to teach them to be airmen, train them in their profession, and make them into leaders; WE ARE!

These airmen are looking for:

-Substance
-Guidance
-Mentorship, and for us to be leaders

They are looking for exemplary behavior and reasons to believe! In your words and actions, let them know you care, that you will train them accordingly, and hold them accountable for their behavior and results.

If you are there for them, they will be there for you and the mission.

Thank you for your service to this nation and the commitment to our mission.
Continue to lead the way in the Air Force Reserve of today.

I wish you and your family a safe and prosperous new year.
(Reprinted from the Gateway newspaper)