'Thanks for your service,' Team Travis

  • Published
  • By Col. John Millard
  • 60th Operations Group Commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Of all the unlikely greetings a stranger can offer, "Thanks for your service" may be the most profound and sublime. It's an oddly intimate greeting. It's very deliberate and not at all casual; it's not "good afternoon," or "have a nice day." Those four words are a stranger's recognition of who you are and what you do. It captures their need to express admiration. But why would a stranger walk up to you and say those words?

I think it is because those words say something very important about what you; Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers and Marines, have dedicated your lives to do. So let me say to Team Travis, thank you for unselfishly choosing to join this profession of arms. Our uniforms are essentially the same but for a few exceptions, and most people outside of the military recognize what it means when you wear it. I'll bet many of you have already heard "Thanks for your service." It happens in big cities and small towns, in restaurants and airports, all over this great country of ours. So how do you respond to that? The first time I heard it, I wasn't prepared at all.

As a young lieutenant, I stopped by the grocery store on the way home to grab a couple things and when checking out, a lady in line turned and said softly, "Sir, thank you for your service." Then she smiled and moved on. In that moment, I thought I should explain that I really hadn't done anything yet. I was a pilot-trainee, I sputtered some form of "you're welcome," I don't really remember. But I did recall thinking about that unlikely, or so it seemed at the time, encounter after the fact and swearing I would be ready next time. However, over time, I discovered I didn't need to explain anything; it wasn't even necessary. I merely had to be humble in accepting their gratitude.

These scenes have been repeated over and over throughout my very fortunate career and I've given the matter a great deal of thought. Let me tell you what I think people mean when they say "Thanks for your service." The point of those four simple words is really this: "I've invested my trust in you and the idea of a person like you. You represent everything that is right about America. I know you will never let me down." Americans trust their military.

In a recent Gallop poll, the U.S. Military ranked first among America's most trusted professions; above clergymen, policemen and judges. And our Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Norton Schwartz said, "In the end this is about trust. Trust between you and me, trust between the Air Force and the joint team, and trust with the American people." Your professional predecessors earned that trust through competence, integrity and volunteerism. You validate and maintain it everyday with yours. To put it another way, trust is earned through integrity, service and excellence.

Trust is rooted in our Air Force Core Values. "Thanks for your service" means America has entrusted the legacy of liberty to the right person; in your integrity, your willingness to volunteer selflessly and your excellence to get the job done right. These values inspire trust which creates an unbreakable bond between you and the American people. You are part of the moral core to which others aspire.

All of you have volunteered and your actions demonstrate your selfless sacrifices. Each of you stepped forward to be counted among those who care about something greater than themself. It is an uncommon profession that calls to people with such an enduring commitment to our mission. As Airmen, we are entrusted with the security of the nation, protection of its citizens and preservation of its way of life.

So how do you respond when someone says "Thanks for your service?" Think about it. By reflecting, you'll learn something remarkable about yourself. I simply reply, "It is an honor to serve."

Simply defined, an honor is a great privilege to do so. This stemmed from my days as a Boy Scout where the oath began, "On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty..." But today Team Travis, "Thanks for your service," it's an honor to serve with you.