82 TRW commander on mission, vision, motto changes Published Oct. 16, 2013 By Brig. Gen. Scott Kindsvater 82nd Training Wing commander SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Teammates, I wanted to let you know about some important changes to our mission, vision and motto that are effective immediately. *Mission: Train and Inspire Warriors Changing "Airmen" to "Warriors" might sound like a small thing, but "Airmen" doesn't cover all the great people who are part of our mission. The Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and international students and instructors here every day are proud of the uniforms they wear and the countries they serve, and we need to make sure our mission statement includes them. *Vision: Combat Capability Starts Here Train and Inspire Warriors is what we do every day; the reason we do it is to ensure combat capability for our nation and our international partners. It doesn't matter how advanced or impressive your aircraft and equipment are, combat capability always boils down to people. Warriors. Combat Capability Starts Here because we build warriors. *Motto: Sustineo Alas (We Sustain the Wings) Actually, this is our original motto. It's featured on a huge oil painting from the 1940s that hangs in the Sheppard Heritage Center -if you haven't already, go check it out. Our predecessors in the training business wore a badge with this motto on it, and we need to embrace it as both our heritage and the source of our pride. It reminds us that our fingerprints are on every aircraft and every sortie the Air Force flies. Without what we do here - without those of us who sustain the wings - the Air Force simply could not Fly, Fight and Win. The mission, vision and motto are not just words to paint on walls and use in PowerPoint slides. They remind us of who we are, what we do and why we do it. They should guide our actions and decisions every day, whether it's leading a squadron or mentoring a single Airman. Every individual is linked to our mission and every individual is critical to mission success. They will also be the foundation of our strategic plan for the next two years. The wing's senior leaders will meet in the next few weeks to pound that out, but I also need your help. I need your feedback--specifically, I need every member of the wing to complete their unit climate assessment, which is going on right now. This is your chance to have your voice heard, anonymously, and to let me know what we're doing well and what we need to improve. I guarantee I will be paying close attention to what you have to say and your input will help determine where we go as a wing over the next two years. Thanks for all you do every day. I'm proud to serve with you and look forward to hearing from you. Best, Brig. Gen. Kindsvater