Commander appreciates welcoming

  • Published
  • By Col. Steven Vautrain
  • 439th Airlift Wing commander
WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --  Katie and I truly appreciate the warm welcome we have received from the men and women of the 439th. You've already made us feel like part of the Westover family. I still find it hard to believe that I have been selected to lead such an outstanding team of professionals. The wing has been working hard over the last year to prepare for the Operational Readiness Inspection and you performed magnificently. Inspections can be hard on a unit, but the 439th came through this ORI well, and we have bright future ahead of us.

As we mark the tenth anniversary of the attacks on America, the Patriot Wing is an integral part of our nation's defense. The 439th has provided steadfast support to Operation Enduring Freedom from the very beginning. You stepped up to the challenges of worldwide combat operations.

Your selfless service made it possible for our three-component Air Force to excel across the globe, regardless of whether you served at home or abroad. Whether it was deploying troops to Afghanistan, supporting humanitarian missions around the world or redeploying troops from Iraq you met the nation's call during a time of crisis.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your service to our country. Your ability to balance the "Reserve Triad" - the Air Force, family and civilian employer - allows us to remain a critical component of our national defense. I appreciate the sacrifices made by your families and employers in support of your service. Pleasing family, civilian employers and military supervisors at the same time isn't an easy task; there are times when the Reserve needs you and times when your civilian employer needs you, but your family always needs you.

Many of you have endured lengthy deployments away from loved ones. I thank you for your sacrifices. It's very important that you pay attention to your family and give them the support that they give to you. Cherish your family time.

My first goal as your new commander is to get to know the people. Many of you will see me around the base in the near future. I will start with the senior leadership, but we all know that it is the people in the offices, in the maintenance shops, on the flight line and in the field who are the heart and soul of a unit, especially a reserve unit.

Many of you have been in the 439th for a long time. I'd like to get to know you and hear your stories of how the wing has evolved and discuss ways in which we can make our wing even better.

It took a team effort to be recognized as the best wing in AFRC. Without the support of the entire wing we could never maintain this level of excellence; the men and women in operations, maintenance, support and our medical squadrons consistently work together to exceed Air Force requirements.

I thank all of you for your support and look forward to leading the Westover team. Katie and I are proud to be the newest members of the Westover family; we wish you all a happy and safe remainder of 2011!