A Note from the Desert

Steve received the following email from Col Jackson the 317 AG/CC at Dyess:

Ladies and Gents: Below is an excerpt from an email sent by a deployed 18AF Lt to his Dad here in the States. It is a poignant reminder of why he is in the AOR...and, to each of us, of why we do what we do! Thank you for your leadership. EXPEDITE. jh

I'll finish with something that I observed today. I have walked past this room before, and it is one like many. It is a break room, meant for aircrews to de-stress, whether preparing to embark on another mission, or returning from one completed. These break rooms generally have a TV, entertainment center, couches, and the latest Popular Science and Motor Trend magazines. This one additionally had a pool table placed in the middle of the room... a nice touch. As I entered, and looked around the room, one item caught my eye. On the same wall as the door was on, placed prominently in the center of the wall, was a bulletin board. Instead of the usual announcements, safety notices, and unit contact numbers, this one simply had two phrases, one each pinned to the upper left and lower right corners. The first had the phrase "Why we fly..." and the second had the phrase "Why we fight." In between the two pieces of standard printer paper were two dozen photos of children, wives, and husbands. Some had the aircrew members present in the photos, others did not. But each member of that flying squadron had made the statement that they were flying and fighting for their families. I stood there for a short moment, just to take in the weight and power of the symbol that was hanging in front of me. There was so much truth in such a simple message. Our fathers fought, well before we could fly, in order to maintain our freedom. And even today, there are still those who make that commitment each time they put on the uniform.