For the love of game Published Sept. 4, 2012 By Mrs. Elizabeth Schwan 60th Air Mobility Wing Director of Staff TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- I recently saw a movie titled, "For the Love of the Game." Kevin Costner stars as Billy Campbell, a famed pitcher for the Detroit Tigers on the brink of making the most difficult decision of his career. His options were to choose between being traded to another team after a 15-year career with his beloved Tigers or retire after challenges of a major injury, personal sufferings and life-altering events. In the end, he chose to retire and took only for his love for the sport, which the Tigers brought to his life. This film, while entertaining to an avid baseball fan, brought me to the vivid realization that I am in the same situation as Billy Campbell. For those of you who know where I stand on career decisions, my discussion is less about the fork in the road and more about reflecting on my love for the game that has grown during my three years here at Travis. We exist in such a fast-paced environment, where mission tops all and balancing each element of our lives often takes a back seat to defending the freedoms we chose to protect by oath at the onset of our careers. Our lives are very much comparable to the sport of baseball. We start early with training, readying ourselves for the season and ensuring that we are "fit to fight" in the toughest games. Young players start in high school, some head straight to the minors, others get to the majors. This is similar to our promotion system based on merit, performance and characteristics special to every player. After the recruiting process, teams are formed similar to bases with groups, squadrons and units. You have a manager and coaches commanders: wing, group, squadron, flight; head coaches and assistant coaches--deputies, chiefs, shirts, senior NCOs and NCOs, each with an understanding of their role in the hierarchy and the expertise to prepare their team for battle. Then you throw in the players, the Airmen and the civil servants, who are the star performers who make the starting lineup. This is the team. You make the game what it is because you are executing the mission with passion, skill and intelligence. You possess love for your great country, freedom and the men and women serving beside you--love of the game. What keeps us going? What makes us sign on every year with the Tigers? Money and security aside, the answer lies with the fans; our community, fellow citizens, family and friends. They are the ones who permit us to carry on with strength as we step to the plate and to carry our head high when we strike out. To the managers: commanders--wing, group, squadron, and flight. You guide our players on the field with amazing offensive and defensive skills. You guide them through personal and professional matters whether good or bad, easy or difficult. You are the Air Force's rock. To the coaches: deputies, chiefs, shirts, and front-line supervisors, you provide the line-through-line guidance, which teaches our players to learn the sport, embrace the sport and master it through years of practice and mentorship. You are the core reason why our Airmen are resilient players. To our players: Travis Airmen and civil servants, you stand tall, endure pain, secure our freedom, maintain the integrity of the game, and understand the sacrifice you make every day. You play with heart until the last pitch is called and you always perform brilliantly. To our dearest fans, our family and friends, our league and our players would not exist without your support. Military spouses provide stability and care as you focus on what keeps the world running outside of the sport. I can think of no other group of individuals more important to sustaining this great Air Force thank you. To our community: to brand you as fans is an understatement. You are unyielding supporters, never fairweather fans and you always cheer on our players irrespective of wins and losses. You embrace the "love for the game" sometimes more than the managers, coaches and players themselves because you can see the real purpose and prudence behind the game. I reflect to my current situation as I prepare to separate from the greatest sport I've ever known. I'm leaving the sport of baseball to move on to another. My heart will always beat louder with baseball, with the Air Force. One day I hope to be scouted and recruited to play baseball again, not for self-gain or personal motives, but for the love of the game Thank you for the best three baseball seasons of my life.