To the USAFA Class of 2013 - What An Opportunity!

It's graduation season, a great time to celebrate achievement. All over the country, graduates look back over the last few years in appreciation and relief. Administrators and instructors have a sense of completion and transition, as one class moves on and another moves up. Families and friends are filled with joy, as those they love successfully navigate challenging programs in various fields of study.

Last week, I got to volunteer at Falcon Stadium, supporting the U.S.Air Force Academy graduation ceremony.

Here's more pictures & video of the event.

I assume the cynically cool folks would say "this is such a difficult time to serve in the military. Why do it in the first place?" To me, the answer should be obvious, to provide for the defense of the homeland. But for the USAFA graduates, now that they've time to contemplate this, maybe there are doubts. Military adversaries aren't so easy to identify, as back in the days of the Cold War. There is still support from the American populace, but signs of "war fatigue" are cropping up. Programs are being terminated, civilian support workers are being furloughed. It's not the same military as it was five or ten years ago.

To me, as a veteran, this is a great time to be a young Airman. The very challenges that hinder others can be opportunities for young folks to be a part of solving such challenges. Resources are tight, but it's also true in the civilian sector. Generational differences crop up in units, obstructing effective communication. That too happens in the civilian sector. Deployment schedules seem to never slow down, separating the member from his/her loved ones.

The enterprising, smart graduates will see the challenges for what they are, and embrace the opportunity to take on the challenges. There is room for new insight & new energy to overcome the challenges and get the job done.

The job of defending the country is necessary and never-ending. It takes the right men and women to do it well in this unsettled time. I have faith in the new graduates, and look forward to them bringing their talents and passion to bear in solving today's problems and tomorrow's challenges.