Stick to Air Force core values Published July 22, 2008 By Col. Mark Dillon 60th Air Mobility Wing commander TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Thanks to the 60th Air Mobility Wing command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Michael Williams, I recently had the privilege to speak to our Top 3 and share my thoughts on the state of our Air Force. My bottom line - our Air Force has its challenges - however, by sticking to our principles and our core values, we will overcome and emerge stronger than ever! While our brave Airmen continue to successfully execute the Global War on Terrorism the challenges we face as Airmen continue. For example: budget and personnel cuts, leadership changes and the high cost of living, to name a few. While many critics would like us to believe otherwise, the state of our Air Force is strong. We are strong because when the going gets tough, Airmen get going. They focus on their core values - integrity, service and excellence. These simple, time-honored and powerful words have helped forge us into the most powerful Air Force the world has ever seen - even on our bad days, no one comes close! Who can refuel jets in-flight that can then fly non-stop around the world to deliver precision weapons or precision supplies to the needy? No one else but us. Who can airlift their battlefield wounded to the best medical care in the world and guarantee a 98 percent survival rate? No one but us. Integrity, service, excellence - simple, powerful words to guide us ... but don't take my word for it. Sir Winston Churchill once said, "All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope." Stealing from Sir Winston's logic I would like to had to his list - integrity, service and excellence. Yes, there are challenges ahead and we don't have any answers for them all. But by sticking to our principles - our core values - we can and will emerge even stronger than we are today.