Air Force priorities remain number one goal Published Oct. 8, 2008 By Chief Master Sgt. Michael Williams 60th Air Mobility Wing command chief TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Team Travis are you ready for a three-day weekend? Yes, three days of creating memories with your family and friends. On Oct. 12, we celebrate Columbus Day. In 1937, President Roosevelt proclaimed Oct. 12 "Columbus Day" and in 1972 President Nixon declared the second Monday of October a national holiday. This holiday is in recognition of Christopher Columbus discovering America; but did he really discover the new land? We know he sailed across the oceans on a ten week voyage, however, history becomes a bit murky and controversial after that particular contention. Nevertheless, this weekend we celebrate the discovery of the new land - America. America is truly the home of the free and the brave; the land our Airmen are committed to defending and protecting. We have Airmen patrolling the skies deterring adversaries, troops on the ground confronting evil and Sailors/Coast Guardsmen sailing the ocean blue just as Christopher Columbus and those that preceded or succeeded him on his journey. We are thankful to whomever discovered America the beautiful; this majestic land where we stand as guardians of freedom and justice, our nations sword and shield, its sentry and avenger, we will defend America with our lives, and we will not fail. Regardless of who's depicted in the history books as landing upon the new land first, we're certainly glad God shed his grace on America and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. The individual that discovered this purple mountain majesty did their part, now we must continue doing our part to defend and protect her. Some yearn for our way of life, while others despise the very freedoms that we as Americans enjoy. We protect this way of life to ensure our children and their children can freely exercise their fundamental right of choice. We defend her and deter the evils that not only confront Americans, but countries across the globe. Yes, we travel across the globe assisting other nations because we are a country focused on good. Yet, our economy is experiencing dramatic turbulence, our Air Force is attempting to rebuild our reputation and we have a new leadership team both locally and at the Air Force level. However, I'm confident in both situations, that we have right leaders in the right positions leading us at the right time. These leaders will ensure we return back to basics, strive for precision and reliability and continue our legacy of excellence; while taking care of our Airmen. Enjoy your three-day weekend - you've earned and deserve some time off. Thank you for establishing new heights and exceeding our expectations. So, whatever your plans are this three-day weekend, we expect to see you at work on Tuesday. We need each of you to continue our quest to win today's fight, take care of our Airmen and prepare for tomorrow's challenges. Team Travis; have a great weekend, be safe, make responsible choices and I'll see you around campus.