Today I saw a Marine cry Published March 12, 2010 By Lt. Col. Lee Landis 436th Operations Support Squadron DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Today I saw a Marine cry. I did not lose any respect for him, quite the contrary; I gained more and more respect for the men and women of the Marine Corps and what they do for us each and every day. We just completed a dignified transfer of a Fallen Hero, his friend, who was flying home on a Kalitta Charter jet. I told him how much the country was behind him, his unit, and the entire United States Marine Corps as he had one tear streaming down his face. The Marines motivate me to be a better Airman, officer, commander and person. Their uniforms are always in immaculate condition, they are polite, professional, and dedicated to the organization. Their motto Semper Fi translates to 'Always Faithful' and that got me thinking about my career and my dedication to the Air Force, my country, family and fellow Airmen. While on a recent deployment as a Chief of Safety to Manas, Kyrgyz Republic, I had the privilege to fly 10 Afghanistan combat mission mainly carrying Marines. It was quite a sight to see 155 combat loaded Marines in the back of a C-17A. If I was Al Qaeda or the Taliban, I would not want to run into this group of our nation's finest. The Marines going into combat and leaving combat had the same persona -- they were happy. The units coming out did not surprise me because everyone is in a good mood when they are heading home to family and friends, but the units going in were happy to execute their mission they were trained to accomplish. It is indicative of what the Marines are made of and the professionalism they live by every day. I am glad they are part of our joint team. Even though it is tough to look a Marine in the eye after a ceremony like this, it is probably the most rewarding part of being a squadron commander at Dover. The mission of the Dover Port Mortuary is amazing and the dedicated professionals quietly do their job with no fanfare. Their mission is excellence every day, not because anyone is watching, but because it is the right thing to do. I would like to pose these questions to you--are you dedicated completely to your tasked mission in the Air Force? Are you ready to deploy on a moment's notice? Are your finances, relationships and fitness on solid ground? Are you ready to give the ultimate sacrifice like the Marine we honored that day?