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SECAF, CMSAF visit Airmen in Iraq on Thanksgiving holiday

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Stacy Fowler
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE BALAD, IRAQ --  Michael Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy visited Joint Base Balad, Iraq, during a Thanksgiving visit Nov. 25, 2010.

While at Balad, they took a turn at serving Thanksgiving dinner to the troops.

"It is great to be back at Joint Base Balad and the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing," the secretary said. "I know you have seen a lot of changes in the last year or so. The mission here at Balad remains central for Operation New Dawn, and you are the focus for transition in Iraq."

Secretary Donley and Chief Roy visited numerous bases throughout the Central Command area of responsibility as he made his way to Balad, always letting Airmen know how proud he was of them.

"It's a pleasure to be here with you, especially during this special time of year," said Secretary Donley. "I wanted to say thank you to each and every one of you for your commitment to this mission, to the Air Force and to our national security. I know that you and your families sacrifice a lot for the Air Force, and I want you to know that your leadership has not forgotten this."

Secretary Donley and Chief Roy discussed issues that would be of high-interest to many Airmen, including the status of Joint Expeditionary Tasking missions, training and equipment, deployment tempos, pay and retirement issues as well as the timeline and plan for the final transition of U.S. forces out of Iraq.

"We are going to have a lot of changes coming at us," said Chief Roy. "Back at headquarters and here on the ground, we are all building the future of the Air Force. We must be prepared and do our best to make sure that we get the resources to continue our mission here and at home station, and make sure it is done as efficiently as possible."

But talk of missions and the future aside, the main purpose of the visit this holiday was to make sure the Airmen here knew Air Force leadership was thinking of them.

"It is an honor to serve with you in the world's finest Air Force," said Secretary Donley. "I am extremely proud of you and the missions you do, and I want to thank you and your families for making these sacrifices for your country. Aim High!"

And Airmen responded with: "Fly, Fight, Win!"