The spirit of giving prevails

  • Published
  • By Col. Dwight Sones
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  During the holiday season, we are given an opportunity to pause and reflect on the blessings that surround us.

The spirit of service is essentially one of giving and a willingness to commit time and expertise to a cause bigger than one's self. In the hands of Team Travis, this spirit always prevails.

Whether you're active duty, Reserve, a civil servant, a community partner, a family member or a retiree, you have served a cause bigger than yourself and fulfilled the spirit of our Mobility Air Force ethos: Answering the call so others may prevail.

In late October, Travis answered the call from its fellow Americans on the East Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. While the devastation was extensive, our spirit prevailed as Travis Airmen came together to deliver massive generators, thousands of blankets and power line repair trucks.

You gave empathy to hopeless victims, provided warmth to families left in the cold and brought light to the homes of our fellow Americans in time for some to have Thanksgiving dinner around their dining room table. As the holiday season approaches this is the spirit of giving that we share and celebrate as service members.

As you accomplish our mission with excellence, remember to take care of yourselves and your loved ones. You cannot give what you do not have. This is why it is so important to refill your tank and recharge your batteries this holiday season. Spend some quality time with family and friends and renew your mind, body and spirit. Whether you enjoy shopping with friends, playing a board game with your family or starting a game of pick-up football, make time to take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Balance is the key. Use your much-deserved down time this holiday season to consider your priorities and reflect on what truly matters to you. Balance the demands of the Air Force with the need to maintain a healthy family lifestyle.

The sacrifices you and your family members make to our nation embody service before self and are a blessing to us all. Take care of each other and remember that your time in the Air Force is a journey. Make your journey one that your family enjoys and finishes with you.

For more than a decade, our Airmen have selflessly served overseas during the holiday season, so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Let us also be a blessing to those around us by being good wingmen by taking care of each other as an Air Force family and by taking care of ourselves and our families.

I wish you a safe and happy holiday season.