WEBVTT

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(plane engine zooming)

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(techno music)

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- Blacksnake family, Colonel Stohler here,

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and Command Chief May,
up in my corner office,

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want to extend to you our

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sincere Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year.

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And also reflect a little
bit back on this year.

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I look at some things
that stand out in my mind,

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and the first one is the Air
Expeditionary Force deployment,

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where we sent over 300
airmen to combat operations

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in Afghanistan, and had a
highly-successful deployment.

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And that put a lotta
strain on our families,

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that we're well aware of.

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And we're just really proud
of the Blacksnake family;

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and the support that we
did throughout the year,

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not only on that deployment,

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but we sent a few other
airmen out the door as well.

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So it's been a tough, long year;

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and we just wanta
acknowledge, and appreciate,

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and send out an appreciative note

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to you and your families on that subject.

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And we actually recognized
a lotta fine airmen today.

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- Speakin' about recognition,

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we had well over several
dozen CCF graduations today,

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and which brings us
out to probably a third

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of our enlisted force on base

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that have a CCF degree,
which is outstanding.

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And then we went ahead

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and also acknowledged
all of our OAY winners,

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which is Outstanding Airmen
of the Year, for everybody.

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And I tell you what, it was
a very difficult decision

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to make across the board.

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And you and I know that.

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We sat in here for a long
time thinkin' about that.

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But, I tell ya, with those packages

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and the quality of work
that they provided us;

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they can go nationally, I believe.

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And on top of that, it
really speaks volumes

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to the preparedness that
we have in this wing

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to provide the lethality
that we need to give

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to the combat commanders downrange.

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So I feel very good about it,

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and everybody should be proud of that,

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and the families should as well.

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- It's exactly right, Chief.

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We look at the other
subject that I think of

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for this year, not only the deployment

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and recognizing our airmen,
but our 100% manning.

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We're 106% manned this year.

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I mean, we knocked it out of the park.

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So I just wanta
congratulate all the airmen

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on the successful year,
our recruiting staff,

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our public affairs
staff, all of the airmen,

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all of the families that continue
to support the Blacksnakes

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throughout the year.

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We are so lookin' forward to a 2019

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that's gonna be even better than 2018.

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So just from Michelle,
Carson, my son, God bless you,

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Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

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- And from myself, Mandy, my son Patrick

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wish you the same Merry
Christmas, Happy New Year.

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And please take some time for yourself

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and enjoy the holiday season.

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Thank you.

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(holiday music)