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MLK Day celebrated by joint forces in the AOR

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Carolyn Viss
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and coalition partners from around the world came together at a Southwest Asia air base Jan. 15 to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Observed on the third Monday of January each year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, or MLK Day, honors not only the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but also the over-arching concepts of equality and justice regardless of race, color, creed or religion. 

The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing honored Dr. King's legacy at a celebration service that included special music by the MLK Community Choir; the U.S. Air Forces, U.S. Central Command Hot Brass Band; a dance presentation by the Gospel Service Dancers; and a dramatic reading of an original poem written by Tech. Sgt. Brian Williamson, 1st Expeditionary Red Horse Group finance agent deployed from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., entitled "Keeping the Dream Alive." The poem was read by Maj. Susan Angus, 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. 

"Being a contributor to the military observation of MLK Day is something I've done for a long time," said Sergeant Williamson, who was born and raised in Trinidad and joined the Air Force shortly after he immigrated to the United States in 1990. "In the Air Force, discrimination and prejudice are not tolerated because we try to maintain a professional image and environment. But the fact is, people in the military represent a huge cross-section of the nation and are from all different sorts of backgrounds and belief systems. Even though I haven't experienced anything negative myself, it's my dream and desire for everyone to be able to live and work together in unity." 

Working together in unity is more than a religious issue; it's a moral issue, according to Senior Master Sgt. Talib AbdulKhabir, 379th AEW equal opportunity superintendent. Sergeant AbdulKhabir said one thing he appreciates about today's military leadership is that they recognize the fact that equal opportunity is a readiness issue. 

"From an EO perspective, we can tap into peoples' intellects and creativity and use them to our advantage to accomplish the mission," he said. "The synergistic effect of having a diverse population creates a stronger fighting force." 

Loving each other and treating each other with respect are concepts that people from all backgrounds can relate to, whether they are Muslim - as Sergeant AbdulKhabir is - or Christian or even if they're not at all religious, he said. 

"What our celebration of MLK Day shows is that the military sets an example on the application of fair and equitable treatment," he said. "It's about having a desire for people to come together with an open mind toward each other and gain a better understanding of different cultures so that we can trust each other and accomplish what we need to (which is what MLK Day is all about)."