Air Force can give Airmen many opportunities Published March 13, 2015 By Lt. Col. Scott Lew 570th Global Mobility Readiness Squadron TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- St. John's is the capital and largest city on the island of Newfoundland and Labrador and is a common refueling stop for Air Mobility Command aircraft. If any of you have ever had the good fortune of traveling to St John's, you may agree with me that it's one of the most beautiful places in North America. During my first visit there, I came across O'Reilly's, a restaurant specializing in Irish food, located in downtown St. John's. O'Reilly's is where I listened to some great Celtic music and experienced food quite different from what I grew up eating in New York. I enjoyed my time at O'Reilly's so much that the last time I was there, I purchased a music CD of the local band so that I could remember my time spent there. The reason I was nostalgic about St. John's is because if it weren't for the Air Force, more than likely I would never have set foot on the island of Newfoundland nor experienced the sights and sounds of that great city. You probably won't see these kind of stories covered in the media these days. Rather, the news and blogs are focused more on issues and stories that potentially paint the Air Force in a negative light, but, if you stop and think about it for a second, you'll realize like I do that our service and the opportunities the Air Force provides are second to none. Certainly, we have some challenges to overcome, but the Air Force has done some pretty amazingly positive things for me and I'm sure for you as well. Have you stopped lately and thought about the great things being in the Air Force has done for you? The Air Force has afforded me the opportunity to fall into both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. I've seen the emerald beaches of the Florida panhandle, experienced the competitiveness of a Southeastern Conference College football game, watched a pod of killer whales swim right underneath my boat in the Gulf of Alaska, and skied the Alps in Germany. I've seen the sun rise and set all across America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Central America. The Air Force has allowed me to have an impact on the defense of our nation by participating in a number of major operations, to include Operation Southern Watch, Operation Allied Force, Operation Joint Forge, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and most recently in Operation Inherent Resolve. My service in the Air Force is responsible for the men and women I call my best friends. The Air Force led me to my wife and it's why I have two wonderful children. The Air Force has provided me with educational opportunities to pursue advanced academic degrees as well as professional military education that broadens my knowledge of our country and the world. The Air Force asks a lot of its Airmen. We work long hours and experience long deployments in less-than-stellar environments away from friends and family. There is no shortage of blogs and newspaper articles that are quick to point out the high-profile issues occurring in our Air Force. The next time you read one of those negative press clippings, I challenge you to stop and think about all the great things that our Air Force is doing for its Airmen and the impact those actions have around the world. If you're new to the Air Force and haven't had these sorts of experiences yet, don't worry, you will. The Air Force offers us the chance to see the world, go to school, make great friends and be part of something bigger than ourselves. The Air Force has provided me with my greatest opportunities and life experiences. If it has not done the same for you, just give it some time. Your service to the Air Force will pay you back with the experience of a lifetime.