COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Col. Brandon Parker, Vice Commander, 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, visited Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, for Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 17-03’s graduation at Kaye Auditorium Dec. 16, 2016.
Parker assists the 2nd BW Commander in providing for the health and welfare of more than 9,100 military and civilian personnel, 5,800 family members and 25,000 retirees. He also shares the responsibility for ensuring the 2nd BW maintains a constant state of readiness in order to provide flexible and responsive combat capability in support of U.S. Strategic Command and theater combatant commanders.
The colonel began his speech by thanking those in attendance for allowing him to impart his wisdom to the graduates.
“It is truly an honor to be here. And when I look at you (graduates) I see myself years and years ago,” Parker said.
He emphasized the importance of having the support family and friends throughout their careers.
“There is no doubt we live in the greatest nation on earth,” Parker said. “One of the things that makes us so great is we have patriotic citizens who provide our service members with unyielding support. Truly there are no words eloquent enough and no hug warm enough to express the deep sense of gratitude we owe all of you.”
Parker spoke to the philosophy of the wings of a pilot, explaining their symbolism and all they mean to him.
“To me, these wings are much more than a badge; they are a calling,” he said. “They embody the soul and the heartbeat of a community of warriors endowed with an innate desire to reach higher, push further and move beyond man-made limits. One can’t help but grasp the symbolism within these wings: devotion, loyalty, nobility, honor, skill.”
Getting to the main message of his speech, Parker issued a charge to the new pilots.
“I charge you with these three simple things: educate, innovate and motivate,” he said. “First, education is the bedrock of your career as you wear these wings. Education is about asking questions. A thirst for knowledge will lead to inquiry, inquiry will lead to discovery, discovery will lead to enlightenment and enlightenment is how you gain a better understanding about your profession and your calling.”
He talked about the famous Airmen in our history and noted the innovation they all exhibited and encouraged them to follow in their footsteps.
“Next I charge you to innovate,” Parker said. “Innovation is bred inside us. You will have to step up to meet the challenge of the coming age. You must power our force, you must adapt to the realities of warfare and you must take on the challenges before you.”
Parker recounted some of his stories from when he was a young captain. His stories were those of the sacrifices our Airmen make on a day-to-day basis to support the mission. He stressed the need for motivation.
“Lastly, you must motivate those around you,” Parker said. “This is the essence of leadership. You are at the tip of the spear, but you must never forget the long tail of Airmen that get you there. All of them have invested in your success and you can’t do the mission without them. You see, those Airmen who crawl into planes, build bombs and guard your jets- these wings carry the payoff for all their hard work: never forget them. You are officers and leaders first, pilots second and warriors always.”
He closed his speech with a thanks and congratulations.
“(SUPT class)17-03, I want you to educate, innovate and motivate,” Parker said. “Thank you for raising your right hand and taking the oath to defend our constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. May God continue to bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.”