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Training is key

  • Published
  • By Col. Gary Goldstone
  • 375th Airlift Wing commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill --  In two weeks, Scott Air Force Base will host the 2008 Airpower Over the Midwest Air Show.

With show time rapidly approaching, 375th Airlift Wing personnel conducted a Major Accident Response Exercise last Thursday in preparation for the air show. The MARE tested the skills and capabilities of wing personnel and the off-base emergency responders who support us.

It is this type of training that helps us plan for a successful air show and ensures we are ready to address any problems that may arise.

Training is a key pillar in Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz' s goal of perfection as the standard. Through rigorous training, we learn, we improve and we grow.

Growth is the goal of training and the reason why training never ends. There is always something new to learn - advances in technology, a smarter way of doing business or a fresh perspective from an outside source. Training not only sharpens our skill sets but also gives us an opportunity to expand those skills.

In becoming the 19th Air Force Chief of Staff, General Schwartz has made a call to get back to the basics. As a fundamental building block, training allows each of us to go back to the first step, to dust off the mental cobwebs of what we learned years ago, and to re-apply those essential steps into our everyday checklists. This, in turn, allows us to carry out our mission with precision and reliability.

This year will be Scott's third consecutive air show. Each year, we train harder, learn more and implement improvements. As the wing commander, I am certain the success of the 2008 Airpower Over the Midwest Air Show will demonstrate the rich rewards of a year's hard work, planning and training.

More importantly, this year's air show will highlight the talented men and women of America's Armed Forces along with the weapon systems they operate. Through the air show, it is our privilege to allow the American public to personally experience why their nation's military is the world's strongest and greatest.