Take pride in surroundings, Team Vance Published Dec. 8, 2006 By Col Mike Callan 71st Flying Training Wing Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- Team Vance -- take pride in our base, our mission and our facilities. I'm pleased to announce that due to the extremely hard work by all of you (especially our dedicated wing safety office) in contributing to our fantastic safety record (both on the ground and in the air), the 71st Flying Training Wing has garnered a plethora of awards including the fiscal 2003 U.S. Air Force Chief of Safety Outstanding Achievement Award for Ground Safety, and is Air Education and Training Command's nominee for the U.S. Air Force Chief of Safety Special Achievement Award, U.S. Air Force Flight Safety Plaque and the System of Cooperation Among the Air Forces of the Americas Flight Safety Award. Special congratulations are also in order for Lt Col Len Litton for being AETC's nominee for the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Individual Safety Award. I fully expect we'll earn further U.S. Air Force recognition soon and this verifies what we all know -- Vance Air Force Base is where expeditionary air warriors live and operate (and operate safely)! Congrats also goes out to SrA Amanda Mills for garnering AETC Public Affairs Warrior of the Year -- Vance AFB's best continue to shine! I was made aware of a very disturbing incident that occurred at our club last week when several officers on temporary duty to Vance AFB to attend the Altitude Chamber took action to destroy the 33rd Flying Training Squadron's "Tweet" model that was proudly displayed in our club! The investigation revealed that several members of Team Vance (who were in the Club that night) overheard these officers and their "criminal" plans and directly confronted the individuals to tell them their plans were a "bad idea." After the club was almost empty and the club manager went to his office to clear some paperwork, these TDY officers cut the support cable holding the "Tweet" and proceeded to dismantle it. Fearing for their actions, they exited quickly and the "Tweet" lie broken outside our club in the grass! Despite several Team Vance members seeing the broken "Tweet" earlier in the day, the incident was finally reported in the early afternoon. This incident is disturbing for several reasons, but our thanks goes out to Capt Gavin Gigstead for stepping in and telling our TDY criminals their proposed actions were a bad idea -- Thanks for stepping in and taking pride in our club and doing what was right! Unfortunately, many Team Vance members (both in the club that night and others in the morning) had other opportunities to step in and attempt to stop or report this crime, and declined to do so! When necessary, we must all step in to protect our base, our mission and our facilities (including our club) against acts that we know are wrong!! To turn your head and look the other way is wrong so please don't do it! Vance AFB demands your commitment to do the "right thing" - please step up and protect our great base from "criminal activity!" We are pursuing the "criminals" to make things right for the 33rd FTS -- the guilty will pay!! Continue to do business safely and enjoy your weekend!