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LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE: Today's Airmen make up the best air and space force in the world, said the Air Force's top general during a speech here Oct. 20.
Speaking at the 42nd Air Force Villages Chairman's Dinner, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley said he is proud to wear the same uniform and serve alongside today's men and women of the Air Force.
Still, he added, they have tough shoes to fill.
“This generation of Airmen is as good as ever,” said the general. “But they are standing on the shoulders of giants.”
These giants are the thousands of men and women from previous generations who fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict and made the Air Force what it is today, the best Air Force the world has ever seen.
Like those of these previous generations, today's Airmen are also at war, fighting in a new kind of conflict that requires a new style of tactics, said General Moseley.
“The war on terrorism is a new fight … it requires a whole new set of tools,” said the general.
This new fight has also brought to the forefront several new priorities for the Air Force. According to General Moseley, these are replacing the aging tanker fleet, finding and producing a new combat rescue helicopter, upgrading the service's communications and surveillance satellites, getting the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter operational and developing the next generation of long-range bomber.
While these five priorities are critical to maintaining a modern and well-equipped Air Force, the general added that it is the people and not the machines that make the service so great.
“The real treasure of the Air Force is its people,” he said.
Today's Airmen are winning wars because they exhibit the Air Force core values of excellence, service and integrity every day in everything they do. The general said he is confident in the Air Force's ability to accomplish any mission because he is confident in the abilities of its people.
“Our mission is to fly and fight,” said General Moseley. “That's what we do and we do it well.”
