Thank you mom, dad Published Nov. 7, 2006 By Lt. Col. E. Kent Wong 365th Training Squadron SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- To the parents of our Air Force's finest: As a technical training squadron commander, I have the wonderful privilege of working with the finest Airmen in our great Air Force - your sons and daughters. I have had the honor of serving in our Air Force for more than 19 years, and, in all that time, I have never seen more educated, more motivated and more patriotic Airmen than those I am commanding today. It is an honor to serve with these great Airmen in the defense of our country. It is highly probable our newest Airmen will deploy to a combat zone in Iraq or Afghanistan within a year or two. It is no longer whether they will deploy, but a matter of when. Knowing this all too well, each of your sons and daughters has still made the selfless commitment to enlist and serve in our Air Force. Their decision to enlist and nobly serve our country will always have my deepest respect and admiration. The United States Air Force is without a doubt the world's most revered and feared aerospace force. Although we have the most technologically advanced weapon systems, without your sons and daughters, these weapon systems mean nothing. Our accomplishments and mission successes would not be possible if not for our greatest strength, our Airmen. As I interact with your sons and daughters each day and observe them in action, their intense motivation and deep sense of patriotism constantly amaze me. I swell with pride when I see them choosing to do the right things and to serve our Air Force with honor and integrity. As they become fully trained and technically skilled apprentices, their contributions will have a huge impact in our global fight against tyranny. They will allow us to defend and liberate those who do not have the means to do so themselves. I am humbled to serve with such fine, young professionals. Your sons and daughters motivate me to serve them. Day in and day out, they are learning. Learning their technical trade and learning to become combat-ready Airmen. We ask them to do more with less. We ask them to give and to sacrifice. In return, they give us their very best - their very own hearts and souls. Your sons and daughters understand that freedom is never free. They understand there are things in life that must be defended - that our country, our democracy and, more importantly, our freedoms, are worth fighting for. This drives me to serve them with even greater enthusiasm. Much has changed in our Air Force during my career, but there is one thing that has remained constant: the steadfast support of the Air Force moms and dads for these young Airmen. I'm absolutely certain without your vigilant efforts, we would not be the great Air Force that we are. Your words of encouragement, prayers, e-mails, care packages and occasional visits all play a vital role in sustaining their morale during a challenging transition in their lives and positively impacts our ability to get the job done well. So it is with my deepest sincerity I thank you. Thank you for always being there for your sons and daughters. Thank you for your dedication, your sacrifices and your undying support. You are absolutely critical to our Airmen. You directly impact their daily lives and accomplishments. Your sons and daughters have become part of the greatest Air Force in the world. They are United States Air Force Airmen. Be proud of them. I am.