CC Message - 2015 Memorial Day Published May 21, 2015 By Lt. Gen. Bruce Litchfield Commander, AFSC TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The reason we have the ability to observe this long holiday weekend is because so many of our servicemen and women paid the ultimate sacrifice for the liberties we relish as Americans. We've all benefited from the sacrifices made by those who came before us. President Franklin Roosevelt said, "Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy, forget in time that men have died to win them." With the hectic lives we lead today, it might be easy to think of Memorial Day as merely a long weekend. But, it's more than that. We're a country at war and with that come the sacrifices of the men and women of our Armed Forces. Today, we honor these Americans who sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we hold near and dear today. We also honor those brave men and women who span various generations, and who voluntarily give up their time with their families as they serve our nation in support of operations across the globe. I encourage you to heed President Roosevelt's warning and never forget the brave men and women who died to earn us our privileged "American way of life." We will never forget them or their families; and we'll never forget your efforts to keep this Nation free. As a grateful Nation pays tribute to our brothers and sisters in-arms who gave their last full measure for their country, we thank you for your service, hard work and dedication , and all you do every day to fly, fight and win for America. But, it's not just those in uniform who sacrifice. They have an entire support structure of government civilians, family members, contractors, industrial partners and communities who stand behind them in this endeavor. So whether you're "down range", turning wrenches at a logistics center or providing security at one of our military installations, you're supporting the warfighter, and we thank you for that. Across the Air Force, we honor those who maintained freedom by continuing to serve, support and deliver capabilities to enable those currently in the fight. Have a wonderful Memorial Day! Keep 'em flying...it's what we do!
CC Message - 2015 Memorial Day Published May 21, 2015 By Lt. Gen. Bruce Litchfield Commander, AFSC TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The reason we have the ability to observe this long holiday weekend is because so many of our servicemen and women paid the ultimate sacrifice for the liberties we relish as Americans. We've all benefited from the sacrifices made by those who came before us. President Franklin Roosevelt said, "Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy, forget in time that men have died to win them." With the hectic lives we lead today, it might be easy to think of Memorial Day as merely a long weekend. But, it's more than that. We're a country at war and with that come the sacrifices of the men and women of our Armed Forces. Today, we honor these Americans who sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we hold near and dear today. We also honor those brave men and women who span various generations, and who voluntarily give up their time with their families as they serve our nation in support of operations across the globe. I encourage you to heed President Roosevelt's warning and never forget the brave men and women who died to earn us our privileged "American way of life." We will never forget them or their families; and we'll never forget your efforts to keep this Nation free. As a grateful Nation pays tribute to our brothers and sisters in-arms who gave their last full measure for their country, we thank you for your service, hard work and dedication , and all you do every day to fly, fight and win for America. But, it's not just those in uniform who sacrifice. They have an entire support structure of government civilians, family members, contractors, industrial partners and communities who stand behind them in this endeavor. So whether you're "down range", turning wrenches at a logistics center or providing security at one of our military installations, you're supporting the warfighter, and we thank you for that. Across the Air Force, we honor those who maintained freedom by continuing to serve, support and deliver capabilities to enable those currently in the fight. Have a wonderful Memorial Day! Keep 'em flying...it's what we do!