SOUTHWEST ASIA -- To borrow a quote from Chief Master Sgt. Robert D. Gaylor, the fifth chief master sergeant of the Air Force, "it's my name on the mailbox."

If you think about that for a minute, you'll realize it's not only your name, but it's also your squadron's or unit's name as well as your commander's name on the mailbox. And the way we conduct ourselves reflects positively or negatively on that name.

As Airmen, each of us comes into contact with someone on a daily basis that we will have a positive or negative impact on. Whether it is an internal customer or an external one, we must keep this in mind when performing our duties.

Look at the service through the customer's eyes. It's this belief in the customer's mind that their expectation of the level of service sought will be met or exceeded with no negative surprises. It should be your goal to deliver even better service than promised. This is what excellence in all we do means.

If you do this, I promise you will have a sense of pride, importance and fulfillment. From the youngest Airman to the most senior, we must all remember that it is our name as Airmen on the mailbox. Every time you are dealing with a customer, I challenge you to think about how you want your name to be portrayed.