Command Corner: May 16

  • Published
  • By Col. Steven Harrison
  • 436th Airlift Wing
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  World champions ... now that has a nice ring to it! Last week, Col. Bright and I, along with 55 members from Team Dover and our local community, were privileged to accept the Commander-in-Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence from Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb at a ceremony conducted at the Pentagon. We followed that up with an equally impressive Department of Defense ceremony hosted by Under Secretary of Defense John Young, Jr.
Then to top it all off, the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce hosted an Installation Excellence Award celebration on May 9. If you were there, you would have heard Sen. Joe Biden proclaim Team Dover as the best installation in the world's greatest Air Force ... he considered us "World Champions", and I couldn't agree more! Throughout the celebration, civic leaders and elected officials showered our team with one accolade after another. 

In fact, Governor Ruth Ann Minner signed a proclamation making May 9 Dover Air Force Base day in the state of Delaware. Winning the Commander-in-Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence was a significant event in Dover's history, but more importantly it is what the award represents to the base, community and the customers that we support on a daily basis. The award is symbolic of the commitment to excellence you show everyday ... as each of you has a tremendous impact in saving lives and delivering freedom around the world. Thanks for everything you do, and congrats again on your historic win! 

As a matter of fact tomorrow, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the United Service Organization, through a Walt Disney grant, will host a picnic honoring the service, sacrifices and daily contributions you and your families have made throughout the year. All told, we're expecting a terrific barbecue feast, band and disc jockey, and a whole lot of FUN! My family and I look forward to seeing you there! 

Another upcoming event that is mandatory for our 26-year-old and under crowd are the scheduled 101 Critical Days of Summer briefs on May 19 at 7 a.m., 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the base theater. May 23 marks the beginning of the annual Air Force-wide campaign, and it's one of our many efforts to combat mishaps and fatalities during the summer time frame. 

The 101 days are historically a time of increased risk for Team Dover and the Air Force, so anything we can do to raise awareness in the realm of safety is essential to the health of our organizations and our critical mission. 

Celebrating excellence with an emphasis on safety ... two more reasons Team Dover is "America's Preeminent Expeditionary Airlift Team!"