Dover Airmen impresses new AMC commander

  • Published
  • By Col. Steven Harrison
  • 436th AW commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Thank you to everyone for making Gen. and Mrs. Arthur Lichte's first base visit since taking the helm of Air Mobility Command such an unqualified success! What a thrill to showcase our Airmen, our mission, and our base. Every group -- Maintenance, Operations, Mission Support, and Medical -- were at the very top of their game. Together with Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Barron, AMC command chief, General and Mrs. Lichte met with Airmen of all ranks, community leaders, and our Air Force Reserve partners.

Without exception, the base looked magnificent, and our Airmen were sharp, enthusiastic and well-prepared. As you know, Team Dover orchestrated this visit with less than two-weeks notice. If we had six months to prepare, it could not have been better. General Lichte's closing assessment was simple and straightforward -- "If every base is as good as Team Dover, Air Mobility Command is in very, very good shape. You have all set the standard ... please tell your Airmen thank you for all they do, and keep up the excellent work!"

I'm also pleased to report that General Lichte expressed his appreciation for your commitment to caring for the base and its people by providing additional funding support for our child development center and the AMC Museum, in addition to providing engineering funds for future base beautification projects. As a result of your outstanding efforts, Team Dover is postured to be even better tomorrow than we are today ... thank you!

I'd especially like to offer a personal thanks to the members of our 436th Security Forces Squadron. They were everywhere -- working traffic, providing force protection, keeping the party on time, standing tall and saluting proudly. Time and again, General Lichte stopped in mid-conversation to comment on how impressed and proud he was of their effort. Twenty-four hours a day, regardless of the weather or the holiday, our security forces Airmen stand guard at home and abroad to keep our families and assets safe. Too often they go unnoticed and un-thanked. Not this time. Great work ... I could not be prouder!

And our high-level visitors didn't stop there. On Sunday, Gen. Norton Schwartz, Commander of U.S. Transportation Command, and Mrs. Schwartz paid a quick visit to the base en route to conducting a swearing-in ceremony and representing Air Force Recruiting service at the Dodge Dealers 400 NASCAR race. Although he only transited the base, he also asked that I pass his heartfelt appreciation for the hard work that each of you do day in and day out.

Dover AFB is particularly privileged to have a uniquely strong relationship with our local community. As one example, Monday morning I had the opportunity to present a vision for Dover AFB to nearly 200 dignitaries including Sen. Tom Carper, Rep. Mike Castle, representatives for Sen. Joseph Biden, mayors of Camden and Dover, the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce, Dover City Council, Kent Count Levy Court, and many more during the annual Dover Military Construction breakfast. Rarely have I seen a community that offers such unreserved support for their service members, or that takes such pride in their service.

Speaking of community pride, this week we have even more reason to be proud. First, Maj. Marcia Potter from the 436th Medical Group was selected by the Department of Defense as one of only two Air Force members ... and one of only eight chosen from over 2.4 million military members ... to participate in the 'Why We Serve' campaign. In this capacity, she will spend the next several months touring the United States in order to speak on the contributions our Airmen are making toward winning the Global War on Terror and her specific experiences in Iraq. What better example of the many ways that Dover Airmen are in the fight?

Of course, that fight is not just abroad. That's why I'm so pleased to report that our own Michael Mendoza, 436th AW antiterrorism officer, was named the DoD's Best Antiterrorism Program Manager for 2007! It's a well-deserved honor, a tremendous testament to the many professionals working to keep Team Dover safe, and one example of why I am so proud to be a part of Team Dover. Thanks for making Team Dover America's Preeminent Expeditionary Airlift Team!