FORT LEE, Va. (Feb. 3, 2011) -- Newly assigned Air Force personnel held their first official ceremony on Fort Lee Jan. 26 in the Air Force High Bay at the Transportation Center.
The 345th Training Squadron, which falls under the 37th Training Wing's 37th Training Group at Lackland AF Base, Texas, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to signify the opening of all their facilities on post. The facilities include two transportation building, an Air Force/Navy dining facility, an Air Force/Navy dormitory and the new Air Force/Navy wing of the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence.
Air Force Col. William Mott V, 37th Training Wing commander, officiated the ceremony and offered his thanks to everyone involved in the project.
"I think you'll find what we do today is packed with a whole lot of meaning because are we are not only saying thank you to everyone responsible for this project," he said, but "We are also challenging the 345th Training Squadron to do great things by giving them great facilities."
The 37th TRW is the largest wing in the Air Force, said Mott, and whenever changes are made due to Base Realignment and Closure initiatives, it usually affects the wing. On other bases and posts throughout the military, those affected by BRAC either live or work in older facilities.
"From policy to the operational level, we got it right at Fort Lee," he said. "I, for one, do not take this for granted. This is amazing compared to some of the other operations I've seen. One of the Air Force's core values is 'Excellence in all we do,' and you just look around here and think 'All right, we got it right.'
"I think it's important to recognize that what we have here with the BRAC move demonstrates the connection from policy
to strategy to operations to the career field managers to leadership itself to show how important these career fields are," Mott continued.
Having Airmen on Fort Lee with the other Department of Defense military branches will give them great perspective, said Mott.
"It's fitting that we are on Fort Lee - the home of sustainment for the United States Army," he said. "The Airmen who come out of Fort Lee are going to go to nearly every air base throughout the world. There's going to be that connection for working for the joint fight. Whatever goes on at Fort Lee is going to touch and impact the people of the United States Air Force all around the world."
Mott urged the squadron to work jointly with the other services whenever possible.
"It's one thing to be ... a proud airman - but it's (something else) to be an American and to be part of whatever operation we do," he said. "I think everyone knows that if we all work together, the services become unstoppable."
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