TOP STORY >>Memorial Day honors our recent Airmen we've lost as well

By Col. Wayne Schatz
314 Airlift Wing Commander

Team Little Rock: Kim, Wayne, Marissa and I are happy to be back at The Rock and we are excited for what the next couple of years will hold for the base and our Air Force. I look forward to meeting and working with each of you in the months ahead.
Today, as we look forward to the Memorial Day holiday and time spent with family and friends, I think it’s appropriate for all of us to reflect on the purpose of Memorial Day. In the past several weeks we have lost three Little Rock teammates. We lost two here at home, and one was killed by the enemy in Iraq. We need to remember the goodness of their service to our nation, and also analyze how we can prevent such tragic losses in the future.

Here at The Rock, we need to remain focused on the mission of training and deploying the world’s premier C-130 combat airlifters to fight and win our nation’s wars while remembering these three Airmen. You all play a key part in accomplishing our mission. As we head into the 101 Critical Days of Summer, it’s all of our responsibilities to ensure our Airmen return back safely. Being a good wingman...taking care of each other...is essential to the success of our mission. You are a part of the most powerful Air Force in the world; every loss of one of our own is a loss to the United States, a loss to our Air Force, and, most importantly, a loss to the families and friends left behind.

The Air Force has about 28,000 Airmen deployed worldwide taking the fight to enemies of democracy. We must remain constant: supporting the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and their armed forces in their battle to build a better country for their children, to bring democracy to the Middle East and to ensure this government survives. We owe it to our men and women fighting and the ones we’ve lost to never forget them.

As we look forward to the Memorial Day weekend, we gather to honor the memories of our warriors — our Airmen, members of our Air Force family. Have a safe and restful weekend, you deserve the time off as you constantly amaze me with the hard work you do each and every day.

You are making a difference in the Global War on Terrorism; you are a valued member of Team Little Rock and I appreciate everything you do for this great country. We want every teammate to look after each other as good wingmen, apply good risk management whether at work or at play, and to stay safe.

Thank you; remember the loss of our three Airmen, and take care of each other out there.