LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --
Col. Charles Brown, 19th Airlift Wing commander, gave his
farewell remarks as the guest speaker at the retiree breakfast, June 16, 2017,
in Hangar 1080 on Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
“I’m here to say thank you,” Brown began. “The priorities we’ve
laid out as a team start with people —from my Airman and their families, to everyone
who’s served. You deserve the best for what you provide and that’s support so
we can sustain our next priority which is readiness.”
The monthly retiree breakfast helps foster close
relationships with service members and disseminates information from units to
the retired community.
“Even though we’re retired, we still feel like we’re a part
of the military family,” said (Ret.) Chief Master Sgt. Donald Smith, 19th AW Retiree
Activities Office assistant director. “Once you’ve served for 20- to 30- years,
you want to retain the relationships you’ve made with your fellow military members.”
During the breakfast buffet, speakers from the 19th Medical
Group and outside organizations spoke to the audience about service updates and
offers.
Arkansas has a population of more than 58,000 retired
service members who provide support to the Combat Airlift mission and the
amenities on base, such as the Commissary and Base Exchange.
“We’ve had excellent support from the 19th AW
leadership,” Smith said. “Col. Brown and Col. Bennett have been huge supporters
— they realize the importance of what retirees bring to the base.”