WEBVTT 00:04.910 --> 00:05.920 - Hello, refuelers! 00:05.920 --> 00:08.370 I wanna take a moment and give a huge shout-out 00:08.370 --> 00:10.480 to all of those made April Superdrill 00:10.480 --> 00:12.260 the moving readiness exercise 00:12.260 --> 00:15.540 and Valcan 19 an incredible success. 00:15.540 --> 00:17.530 In a span of a week and a half 00:17.530 --> 00:20.180 you stepped away from your regular jobs and families 00:20.180 --> 00:23.090 and completed a vast majority of 2019's 00:23.090 --> 00:25.210 performance and training requirements. 00:25.210 --> 00:27.650 I'll admit, we may have crammed a little too much 00:27.650 --> 00:30.170 in our sack, but every area of your effort 00:30.170 --> 00:32.240 was a huge success. 00:32.240 --> 00:35.690 Special recognition goes out to Colonel Metcalfs's team 00:35.690 --> 00:36.523 that took the brunt 00:36.523 --> 00:38.910 of the ravenous exercise requirements. 00:38.910 --> 00:40.990 Though they only represented roughly 10% 00:40.990 --> 00:42.620 of the winged population, 00:42.620 --> 00:44.890 they did 100% of the work 00:44.890 --> 00:48.480 and the entire wing appreciates the long, sweaty hours 00:48.480 --> 00:49.960 that you invested. 00:49.960 --> 00:51.740 Awesome job! 00:51.740 --> 00:53.090 - I think that folks here are 00:53.090 --> 00:56.250 they're highly motivated, they're highly expert. 00:56.250 --> 00:59.520 Really, they make the jobs of the commanders, 00:59.520 --> 01:03.410 myself, and my Vice Lieutenant-Colonel Milney 01:03.410 --> 01:05.790 that everyone on this team makes 01:05.790 --> 01:08.320 our job easy because what they're doing is 01:09.370 --> 01:11.870 they're really getting ahead of the problems. 01:11.870 --> 01:14.000 So when we go to them with a question, 01:14.000 --> 01:16.610 it's usually already answered. 01:16.610 --> 01:20.200 So, we're able to take a very strategic 01:21.215 --> 01:23.560 30,000 foot view, if you will, 01:23.560 --> 01:25.870 and folks are just problem-solvers 01:25.870 --> 01:27.490 here, on this team. 01:27.490 --> 01:28.700 - Thanks, Mike! 01:28.700 --> 01:31.080 As for Valcan, what a blast! 01:31.080 --> 01:31.913 We worked hard. 01:31.913 --> 01:32.870 We trained hard. 01:32.870 --> 01:34.970 We got to know each other just a little bit better. 01:34.970 --> 01:36.870 And we had a great time doin' it. 01:36.870 --> 01:39.230 I was personally thrilled to fly several 01:39.230 --> 01:41.750 of our newer airmen on an orientation flight 01:41.750 --> 01:44.130 and show them first-hand the mission 01:44.130 --> 01:46.270 that is the product of eleven hundred airmen 01:46.270 --> 01:47.970 in the 117th. 01:47.970 --> 01:50.170 Another personal favorite was getting shot-up 01:50.170 --> 01:52.930 by our security forces on the Simunition Range. 01:52.930 --> 01:55.860 It left a few bruises but it left me with even more 01:55.860 --> 01:57.850 in appreciation of what our defenders do 01:57.850 --> 01:59.950 out here every single day. 01:59.950 --> 02:02.560 Now, here's a few words from your command chief 02:02.560 --> 02:05.050 and a couple other airmen about their experience 02:05.050 --> 02:06.640 at Valcan. 02:06.640 --> 02:08.120 - Valcan was a great experience. 02:08.120 --> 02:11.130 There's a real good turnout, real good for everybody 02:11.130 --> 02:11.980 in the wing. 02:11.980 --> 02:13.680 Very good participation. 02:13.680 --> 02:15.460 I think it went great all the way through 02:15.460 --> 02:17.020 to return home. 02:17.020 --> 02:18.670 - For one, the classes were more pertinent 02:18.670 --> 02:23.630 to what we needed, being maintenance-specific 02:23.630 --> 02:26.080 for a few of the days, and then, 02:26.080 --> 02:27.450 the first day gettin' everything else 02:27.450 --> 02:28.430 knocked out of the way, you know, 02:28.430 --> 02:30.423 the E.P.R.s and the other classes. 02:31.350 --> 02:34.800 I felt like it was a lot smoother this go-round. 02:34.800 --> 02:37.250 And from what I've heard from everybody else 02:37.250 --> 02:39.863 is that everyone else enjoyed it as well. 02:41.040 --> 02:42.870 - Gulf Porter allowed us to talk to 02:42.870 --> 02:44.580 and get to know other personnel 02:44.580 --> 02:47.380 from other A.F.S.C.s that perform different roles 02:47.380 --> 02:50.700 but share the same goals to ensure mission success. 02:50.700 --> 02:51.810 - That's the thing, it's a good idea. 02:51.810 --> 02:55.960 It's a good way to get people trained in a lump-sum. 02:55.960 --> 02:58.420 So you got try and train on person here 02:58.420 --> 03:00.020 and train somebody there. 03:00.020 --> 03:01.700 - I think all-in-all it went well. 03:01.700 --> 03:03.230 Appreciate what everybody did again 03:03.230 --> 03:05.210 and hope everybody had a wonderful time. 03:05.210 --> 03:06.730 We look forward to doin' this next year. 03:06.730 --> 03:08.330 We're gonna make it an annual event 03:08.330 --> 03:11.280 and build on it and make it a better participation. 03:11.280 --> 03:14.900 - At Valcan this year you saw empowerment in action. 03:14.900 --> 03:17.720 Squadrons took care of themselves and airmen looked out 03:17.720 --> 03:19.060 for one another. 03:19.060 --> 03:21.090 The M.V.P. award no doubt goes out 03:21.090 --> 03:22.930 to our first sergeant's corp. 03:22.930 --> 03:25.310 I don't think they ever slept. 03:25.310 --> 03:28.720 Church, great job takin' care of our folks all week! 03:28.720 --> 03:32.180 And also a big shout-out to our chief cook of the crawdads 03:32.180 --> 03:33.370 Nick Contorno. 03:33.370 --> 03:35.490 The crawfish boil was awesome! 03:35.490 --> 03:37.920 And we definitely put a dent in the Mississippi seafood 03:37.920 --> 03:42.920 market by cooking over a quarter ton of crawdads and shrimp. 03:43.340 --> 03:45.020 For those that weren't able to attend, 03:45.020 --> 03:46.700 you missed a big event. 03:46.700 --> 03:49.230 And I hope you can join the wing next year. 03:49.230 --> 03:52.610 Speaking of awesome events and back by your popular 03:52.610 --> 03:55.790 demand, during October drill, we will stand down 03:55.790 --> 03:58.820 and recognize the family of the 117th. 03:58.820 --> 04:00.650 Let me be specific. 04:00.650 --> 04:03.540 Family is more than just the traditional sense 04:03.540 --> 04:04.680 of the word. 04:04.680 --> 04:07.760 It's inclusive of every person that is a part 04:07.760 --> 04:10.480 of our airmen's loyal support mechanism. 04:10.480 --> 04:14.040 And of course, this will always include our retirees. 04:14.040 --> 04:16.700 Like I said at Gulf Port, the 117th patch 04:16.700 --> 04:20.573 makes us related, but true loyalty makes us family. 04:21.520 --> 04:23.040 What's next at the 117th? 04:23.040 --> 04:24.770 I'm glad you asked. 04:24.770 --> 04:26.150 During the commander's call last week, 04:26.150 --> 04:28.690 I unveiled the theme for our way ahead. 04:28.690 --> 04:31.090 While we will continue to push the big three, 04:31.090 --> 04:33.170 of warriors back on mission, 04:33.170 --> 04:34.400 taking care of people, 04:34.400 --> 04:36.060 and developing tomorrow's leaders, 04:36.060 --> 04:37.430 we will now pursue them 04:37.430 --> 04:40.900 with a no-tolerance for failure tight mindset. 04:40.900 --> 04:43.880 A no-fail mission performed by a no-fail airman 04:43.880 --> 04:47.380 with no-fail leadership is to be our goal. 04:47.380 --> 04:50.240 This is way more than just a catchy phrase. 04:50.240 --> 04:52.580 It's a template for our performance. 04:52.580 --> 04:54.900 Our next opportunity for a no-fail mission 04:54.900 --> 04:57.720 is the upcoming exercises in Finland. 04:57.720 --> 05:01.060 Folks, this mission is of utmost importance. 05:01.060 --> 05:04.360 And it will be supported with redundancy, period. 05:04.360 --> 05:05.593 It is that important! 05:06.870 --> 05:09.060 As we approach our missions, we must think 05:09.060 --> 05:11.540 outside the box and be able to perform 05:11.540 --> 05:13.870 without modern conveniences. 05:13.870 --> 05:16.550 As I heard General Goldfein say just this week, 05:16.550 --> 05:17.587 and I quote, 05:17.587 --> 05:20.037 "We should treat every week as if it were 05:20.037 --> 05:21.737 "the last week of peace. 05:21.737 --> 05:23.677 "We only have between now 05:23.677 --> 05:26.057 "and when the conflict starts to get ready." 05:27.410 --> 05:29.600 That really puts our mission and our job 05:29.600 --> 05:30.910 in perspective. 05:30.910 --> 05:33.290 Our people need to be personally trained, 05:33.290 --> 05:36.970 educated, and resilient at work and at home. 05:36.970 --> 05:40.330 And our leaders must be agile, mentored, trained, 05:40.330 --> 05:43.760 and then supported from above and below. 05:43.760 --> 05:46.020 Team, thanks for what you do every day! 05:46.020 --> 05:47.750 Sumpter Smith International Guard Base 05:47.750 --> 05:49.610 is without a doubt the most operationally 05:49.610 --> 05:53.120 kinetic base in the Alabama National Guard. 05:53.120 --> 05:55.780 And you do the mission all day, every day 05:55.780 --> 05:58.510 around the world and with excellence. 05:58.510 --> 06:01.240 To our 24, 7, 365 warriors, 06:01.240 --> 06:02.950 that being the intel squadron, 06:02.950 --> 06:04.570 the Noble Eagle alert force, 06:04.570 --> 06:05.830 the firefighters, 06:05.830 --> 06:07.240 the command-post controllers, 06:07.240 --> 06:08.890 and our awesome defenders, 06:08.890 --> 06:11.210 I appreciate what you do! 06:11.210 --> 06:12.800 We live in a great nation 06:12.800 --> 06:15.160 and its freedom is definitely not free! 06:15.160 --> 06:17.390 Refuelers, continue to look out for each other 06:17.390 --> 06:19.290 and take pride in what you do, 06:19.290 --> 06:22.200 as you protect the American way of life. 06:22.200 --> 06:25.607 Remember, our job is not done until we can say, 06:25.607 --> 06:26.817 "Offload complete!"