While staying here in El Paso, I have had the privilege of meeting and talking to some of America’s bravest and best. One hundred and fifty air men and women from the United States Air Force have been staying in the same hotel as I am, spending time with their families before their deployment to Iraq this month. They having been doing training at Ft. Bliss, the largest air command in the world. Although it is an Army base, the Air Force plays a role here from time to time.
It was an honor for me to talk with many of these courageous individuals who seem to take these deployments all in stride, as do their brave and selfless spouses, who take on so many extra responsibilities while their loved one is away fighting for freedom in all parts of the world. I am always amazed at the positive attitudes that the military people possess when I evaluate the Department of Defense schools in different parts of the world.
This group here was no exception. It doesn’t require a long conversation before I are extremely proud to have spent time with each of them. I wish them safety and God speed ’til they return to the land of the free and home of the brave.