Mission first, Airmen and their families always

  • Published
  • By Col. Mark Camerer¬
  • 436th Airlift Wing commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Airmen, family members, civilian employees, total force teammates and local community partners thank you for the warm welcome Julie and I have received since arriving at Dover. It is an honor to take command of the Eagle Wing and serve with each and every person who comprises Team Dover, especially during a time of continued conflict.

Since the change of command ceremony I have had the opportunity to visit many of the units around the base and have found your commitment to excellence and to our mission is remarkable, I am inspired and in awe!

The daily mission at Dover Air Force Base is of unprecedented importance. The relevance and need for your skills is at an all-time high. Our wing delivers combat capability and sustainment supplies to the frontlines and remains poised to execute humanitarian relief operations whenever and wherever our nation calls.

Right now, each of you is engaged in delivering the right effects, at the right place and at the right time. It's our crews and maintainers who ensure we can fly approaches into Baghdad International Airport, our aerial porters who load millions of pounds of high-priority cargo, our security forces Airmen who secure the base, our force health management team who guarantees medical readiness, the list goes on--you are critical in the success of the 436th Airlift Wing and to our nation's ability to project and sustain military operations while executing national security strategy.

What you do is of the utmost importance and we need to ensure we are not only taking care of our mission, but we are also taking care of our team members through a cohesive support network.

My approach is simple; I place our mission first and endeavor to take care of our Airmen and their families, always. In the coming days we will continue to meet the needs of our nation and we will strive to develop resilient Airmen and families capable of overcoming the obstacles we will face. This requires leadership and proactive engagement at every level and I know you will continue to rise to the challenge.

As your commander, I will be personally invested in the health of our force and well-being of our Airmen.

I look forward to visiting all of our units over the coming months and getting to experience, first hand, the amazing work you do to deliver mission success every day. Until then, I want you to know that I appreciate your commitment to Team Dover, to each other and to our nation, continue to Deliver!