TOP STORY >>Maintaining excellence: We each play vital role

By Col. Wayne Schatz
314th Airlift Wing commander


Editor’s Note: This is part two of a three-part series about the 314th Airlift Wing Goals, Vision and Mission.
The vision for the 314th Airlift Wing is simple: “Team Little Rock: America’s combat airlift center of excellence.”
The phrase “combat airlifters” doesn’t only apply to our students or aircrews flying missions over Iraq and Afghanistan, “combat airlifters” applies to the entire team — maintainers, logisticians, security forces, medics, comptrollers, and countless others. It takes the entire Little Rock team working hard together to maintain our reputation as the premiere C-130 base in the world.

In today’s wartime environment we all play a critical role in maintaining this wing and base as a center of excellence. We are a team engaged in the Global War on Terror fight. We currently have more than 700 Airmen from the base deployed throughout the world, all of them from varied career fields. What you do here day-to-day, in our training as well as our warfighting missions, has a big impact on our military’s success overseas.

We have quality Airmen maintaining a reputation of excellence Air Force wide. However, we must be vigilant in continuing to strive for excellence; whether it is the readiness of our aircraft, the care we provide to our Airmen and their families or in the customer service we provide—we must always strive for excellence!

Our nation is counting on us to defend our freedoms and way of life. In war there is no prize for second place. It is our duty to train and work hard so we win our nations’ wars.

We are all “combat airlifters” and we all should take personal responsibility and pride for serving at the world’s best C-130 base. You make the difference, so keep up the excellent work. I’m proud to serve with you!