The year in review, the year in view Published Dec. 17, 2009 By Brig. Gen. Ken Wilsbach 18th Wing commander KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- In the next couple of weeks, we'll turn the page on 2009 and move out onto the long plain of the future, the vast unknowns and high hopes of the second decade of our 21st century. Truly, there is much to look forward to. But before we do, I'd like to pay tribute to all you've done over the course of this past year. I do so with some hesitation because it would be impossible to recount the character of your every effort. There can be no summation that does justice to your hard work, to your blood and your sweat, to your long hours, your moments of joy, sadness and frustration, your moments of triumph. For thousands of years, when confounded by the magnitude of what's before us, mankind has been making lists. In the Iliad, overwhelmed by the task of describing the great number of Greek ships headed for war with Troy, Homer gave up on metaphor and just started listing names. We've even gone so far as to name the stars. I hope you'll appreciate the list that follows, and that you'll join me for a moment in remembering these stories of ourselves. We have an important mission here at Kadena: to provide unmatched combat power and a forward power projection platform in the Pacific Region, and to provide for the common defense of Japan. We've done all this in 2009, and we've done it with skill and professionalism. We trained hard. We wore chemical suits and gas masks during three grueling Local Operational Readiness Exercises. We trained in the air and on land and sea with our Army, Navy, and Marine brethren. We traveled to mainland Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia, where we exercised with our coalition partners, building our joint capabilities and furthering these invaluable relationships. We sent Senior Master Sgt. David Duncan to a Singaporean Leadership School, the first U.S. Airman to do so. We fought in two wars. More than a thousand of you deployed to Aghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan, amongst other places. Hundreds of Kadena Airmen are currently deployed. The 33rd Rescue Squadron went twice to Afghanistan, returning the second time just weeks before Christmas, and the 31st Rescue Squadron deployed to the Horn of Africa and to Iraq, where Kadena Military Working Dog teams were hard at work saving lives by sniffing out improvised explosive devices. All the while, our families held down the home front, making it possible for us to accomplish these critical missions. We gave back to the community. Kadena Airmen visited orphanages in Malaysia and the Philippines, provided much-needed medical and dental care in Thailand, aided recovery operations in Indonesia after a devastating tsunami, and delivered clean water to a Hawaiian island. Here on Okinawa, we planted trees, cleaned beaches, picked up trash and participated in numerous community festivals. We opened our gates for AmericaFest in July; later, in November, hundreds of local special needs athletes joined us for the 10th Anniversary Kadena Special Olympics. We won awards...lots of them. The 18th Civil Engineer Group was named the Air Force's outstanding civil engineer unit. Members from the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron were awarded a Chief of Staff Team Excellence Award for their development and implementation of an Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century initiative. Staff Sgt. Jon Ouchi, of the 390th Intelligence Squadron, was named Henry "Red" Erwin Enlisted Aviator of the Year. The 33rd Rescue Squadron received the Verne Orr Award for excellence in resource management. The Kadena Commissary bagged the Defense Commissary Agency's Best Outreach award. The 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron earned the Air Force Maintenance Effectiveness Award. The list of PACAF and Air Force level award winners goes on. This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication to excellence that are the hallmarks of our Airmen and dedicated civilian work force. We passed our Unit Compliance Inspection and witnessed a total eclipse of the sun. We built a new base exchange, the largest in the Pacific, and a new AMC passenger terminal. We made significant improvements to many base houses and the renovations continue. We raced dragon boats and celebrated Obon with our Okinawan neighbors. One Kadena Airman, Tech. Sgt. Leslie Green, sewed on a stripe at the South Pole, and another, Airman 1st Class Theodore Wilkins, jammed with Los Lonely Boys while downrange. During a flight from Chicago to Narita, Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda, a 909th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, alerted airline pilots to a fuel leak prior to going oceanic, allowing them to make the safe decision to divert to San Francisco. As you can see, it's been a big year. All of us have reason to be extremely proud. As you celebrate the holidays and spend time with your loved ones, remember those who are presently in harm's way. Remember those who we've lost. Remember the sacrifices of your family members and take the time to let them know how much they mean to you. 2010 is sure to bring new challenges and new triumphs. I have no doubt that we'll rise to the occasion, whatever the New Year might bring. Thank you for what you do every day for your Air Force and your nation. Happy holidays!