JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST -- White tablecloths and lit candles glowed in the dimmed lights of the Tommy B’s Center, reflecting off the countless rows of medals pinned to each Airman’s mess dress.
The nominees stood scattered through the crowd, distinguished by the yellow band of the medallions hanging on their chests. The night is for them.
The 305th Air Mobility Wing Annual Award ceremony kicked off, and everyone found their seats. Between hoots and hollers and a few rogue air horns, U.S. Army Col. David Sanders, 174th Brigade commander, took the spotlight as the guest speaker for the night.
“Do you realize the importance of your mission to the team,” Sanders asked. “When we boil it all down, what you do ties in directly to what happens when metal meets meat on the battle field.”
The Airmen in the audience fell silent.
“Right now, somewhere in Afghanistan, there’s a patrol coming back in through the wire and they have a few concerns; they have a few wounded men, they lost three vehicles, and they’re out of ammo,” Sanders said. “But here’s what they’re not concerned about: they’re not concerned about getting those vehicles or getting that ammo, because it moves out of Joint Base MDL every day, because of what you do.”
The projection screen lowered over the stage, and those in attendance watched video after video of go-pro style footage taken from the Kevlar helmets of Soldiers fighting in the Middle East. Darting between broken down buildings and dodging enemy fire, the CAN DO Airmen were given a firsthand look into the mission they may not always see from the air.
“Rapid global mobility may seem like a catch phrase,” said Sanders. “But its pulled me out of the fire and its pulled a lot of my guys out of the fire.”
Again, Sanders asked the room if they knew where the mobility mission fit into the big picture.
“If planes don’t fly we can’t fight, and if we can’t fight, we can’t win,” said Sanders. “Well that’s a non-start. We have to fight, because we have to win. In the U.S. military, there is no try; there is do, or do not.”