Commander bids Team Vance members adieu Published Nov. 22, 2006 By Col. Bryan Benson 71st Flying Training Wing Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- Men and women of Team Vance, it seems like only yesterday you were welcoming my family and me and bracing yourselves for a new boss. Where has the time gone? We've accomplished much together in the past 20 months, including a health services inspection, Operational Readiness Inspection, aircraft maintenance inspection, state and federal environmental compliance inspections and numerous other audits and staff assistance visits. In every case we received an "Excellent," "Outstanding" or "Best Seen to Date." And you were just getting started. Team Vance trained, deployed and safely redeployed more than 15 percent of its military force on time and without a single discrepancy -- again, the best in the command. You successfully converted two squadrons and 192 T-37 and T-6 aircraft without a single delay in student graduations and again were recognized as "Best Seen to Date." That translated into the wing receiving the Air Education and Training Command "Best Flight Safety Program" for a record third consecutive year. Our proudest accomplishments have to have centered around our people. Our officer and enlisted performance reports, awards and decorations on-time rates are at the top or right up there in AETC, with current rates at 100 percent on-time. That attention to detail resulted in our receiving the "AETC" T-1, T-6, T-37 and T-38 Instructor Pilots of the Year, AETC's only selectee for one of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year, the Air Force Company Grade Officer Chaplain of the Year and more than 30 other individual numbered Air Force, major command, Air Force and Department of Defense civilian and military awards. We also promoted more than one-third of our military population. Our DoD civilians and our contract team of Computer Sciences Corporation, Trend Western and Lear Siegler Services are the best America has to offer. You were all simply amazing. The thing to remember about your service to Team Vance, the Air Force and the nation is our mission. Our mission is what separates us from civilian corporations. Our mission requires self-sacrifice, reliance on each other and the unwavering trust that the person beside you will put their needs aside for mission success. Our profession requires us to subordinate our own individual wants and needs for the good of the unit, the mission and the ultimate good of our country. This is the fundamental difference between what we have chosen to do at Team Vance and someone who seeks an individual path to glory and recognition. The next year will be a challenging one for our nation, service and base. I know you are all up to those challenges. Col. Richard Klumpp and his wife Mary bring a great deal of talent to the team and I know you will welcome and serve them with the vigor and expertise Team Vance is historically known for. It's truly been an honor to serve with such outstanding people and great Americans. Sherrie and I wish you all the very best and God speed. Check Six and thanks for all you do for America!