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Airmen, Soldiers in Iraq watch new leader take command

  • Published
  • By by Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE, Iraq -- --  Airmen stationed here in "far-off deserts" are among the Americans who the 44th president of the United States spoke about during his inaugural address Jan. 20.

As Barack Obama took his oath of office shortly after 8 p.m. local, Airmen and Soldiers here quietly marveled at television screens base wide to see and hear what their new commander in chief had to say to the nation.

"As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains," the president said. "We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves."

For one Airman here, watching her new boss make his inaugural remarks is something she won't forget.

"It means so much to me because I am witnessing history in the making," said Staff Sgt. Tierra Owens, a medical administrator from the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron. "I feel it is a pleasure and an honor to be serving in the Air Force with so much change going on.

"I was so moved by his speech because I see how far we have come as a whole and just how far we can go," said the Georgiana, Ala, native. "It makes me feel so blessed to be a U.S. Citizen and to be a part of this great country.

"I think President Obama will be a great leader," Owens said. "He has not made unreachable promises or goals. He has spoken of the things he wishes to do and I know with the help of his Vice President, Sen. Joe Biden, and his cabinet, they can make great progress."

Sergeant Owens said she observed how people were so moved and hung on to his every word, some words which focused on what Airmen know to be the second core value: Service before Self.

President Obama said the spirit of service ... was "precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all."

While visiting Kirkuk Airmen one day after President Obama's inauguration, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing commander, Brig. Gen. Brian Bishop, highlighted what Obama's message of service meant to Airmen.

"(Your service to our country and Nation) is what President Obama said last night when he called on the Nation to serve. You are doing that already, every single day," General Bishop said.