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Welcome Lt. Gen. McDew and retirees

  • Published
  • By Col. David Almand
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  It's with great pleasure that we welcome Lt. Gen. Darren McDew to his first official visit to the wing in his role as 18th Air Force commander. Scott is familiar territory for Gen and Mrs. McDew since this is their third tour back at Scott--the first when he was the wing commander for the then-375th Airlift Wing in 2002, and then again in 2006 as the vice commander for 18th Air Force.

He and his wife, Evelyn, will once again tour the facilities, but most important--meet the people who are performing the mission here at what he coined the "Showcase Wing." We look forward to discussing the changes that have come about since he was here last, demonstrating the Showcase Pride in our daily operations as we answer the nation's call, and sharing our vision for the future. We look forward to showing them around and having a dialogue with the general during our all call on Friday.

Also, this weekend Team Scott will host the 27th Annual Retiree Appreciation Day at the Scott Club for area retirees and their families. Veterans from all branches of the military who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm/Gulf War and recent conflicts far and wide are welcomed to attend this annual event.

It is an honor to recognize these veterans who contribute untold hours in volunteer service as they give back to all of us. It's a small thing to set aside a day to provide information to them in a convenient setting and is just one way we can say thank you for all that they do. We honor them not because we have to, but because it's the right thing to do. Their diverse backgrounds and experience add strength to today's force, and they truly reflect the retiree motto of "Still Serving."

In addition to hearing from retired Chief Master Sgt. John McCauslin, we'll be announcing the Retired Volunteer of the Year! During the day, several agencies will provide brief updates to the guests on numerous topics such as TRICARE, Space Available travel, safety, legislative updates and more. Our medical teams are offering a variety of services geared toward retirees such as a bone density scanner, blood pressure and dental screening and flu shots.

This event is just another example of Team Scott coming together in a superb effort, and, like any event, could not happen without a tremendous amount of dedicated service. Special thanks go to 1st Lt. Neal Brinkworth and Master Sgt. Michael Brown who are chairing the day's events.

It's important to keep strong connections with our retirees because they are part of our Air Force family. Scott AFB supports more than 23,000 veterans in a five-state area, so our reach is large and wide. We're all in this together, and we cannot be successful without their support, sage advice, and continued service in many venues that directly impacts our mission, base and Airmen. Thank you veterans for your continued dedicated service to our base and communities!