2012's Outstanding Airmen and the New Chief of Staff Speaks

From the Usual USAF Source; first the new CoS:

Welsh Introduces Himself: Gen. Mark Welsh introduced himself to airmen in his first official letter to them since becoming the Air Force's 20th Chief of Staff. "My story starts with my family. My dad, who was the greatest patriot, officer, and leader I've ever known, taught me no rank or title would ever be as important as the unit patch I wore," said Welsh, whom Air Force Secretary Michael Donley swore in as Chief of Staff on Aug. 10. He added, "Today, I wear the Air Force patch, and my family has grown to 690,000 Active, [Air National] Guard, [Air Force] Reserve, and civilian airmen, all serving as part of an unbeatable joint team." Welsh went on to thank airmen for their dedicated service and promised to outline his priorities shortly. "In the meantime, you take care of the 'Fly, Fight, and Win' part . . . and I'll ensure that 'Integrity, Service, and Excellence' aren't just buzz words I use in speeches," he wrote in the missive, dated Aug. 10.

I like his first words, especially the "Fly, Fight, and Win" bits.  His first letter is brief and to the point (which is exactly what a leader should be) and he says the right things.  My initial take is we got a good guy for the job.

Speaking of good ones:

2012 Outstanding Airmen: The Air Force has selected its top enlisted members for 2012, naming them the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year. They are:

• SMSgt. Laura A. Callaway, Air Mobility Command;
• SMSgt. Emilio Hernandez, US Air Forces in Europe;
• SMSgt. Luke W. Thompson, Air National Guard;
• MSgt. Alan M. Braden, Air Force Materiel Command;
• MSgt. Sandra L. Plentzas, Air Force Reserve Command;
• TSgt. Brandon C. Bruner, Air Force Special Operations Command;
• TSgt. Matthew G. Stark, Pacific Air Forces;
• SSgt. Angelo C. Banks, Air Education and Training Command;
• SSgt. Cory T. Branham, Air Combat Command;
• SrA. Bryenna L. Brooks, Air Force Global Strike Command;
• SrA. Matthew J. Butler, Air Force District of Washington; and
• SrA. Nicholas A. Hurt, Air Force Space Command.

The Air Force Association will honor these 12 airmen during its Air & Space Conference in September in National Harbor, Md. (AFA release) (Aug. 10 Randolph report by Gloria Kwizera)

There are bios of the 12 Airmen at the AFA release link and they make for impressive reading.  Here's one such:

SrA Brooks is but one reason why I still have a tremendous amount of faith in the younger generation.  Congratulations to this year's Outstanding Airmen.  Well Done!