Time to increase balance, agility, readiness

NAS FORT WORTH JRB, TEXAS -- First, let me thank you for the amazing welcome my family has received. We are so proud to be part of the 301st family.

As long-term residents of Fort Worth, we are settling into the daily routine of my command responsibilities and the increased demand on our time. It is a welcome change to be able to work my traditional reserve assignment closer to my home and family.

At the change of command ceremony, I spoke on a few topics that I want to review with you now because they are important to us as Reservists. These topics are: balance, agility and readiness. Those three concepts each bring to mind Olympic events such as the high jump and pole vault, which require participants to reach higher and higher to succeed. Since we are in the military, we need an acronym. So the obvious one is "B-A-R."

As a reservist, I am committed to finding balance in my life and I look at it this way. The reservists of today have to be able to balance their family and their civilian and military careers. We've all done it: left the family and traveled through the night to get to the next UTA; or, left our civilian job for that TDY or that important ball game. It is not always easy, but we have to work within our daily and monthly routines and be committed to finding that balance. In the high-speed world we live in, just be committed to keeping your activities within reason, and you can maintain balance.

Agility is a little different. I look at my agility as an Airman as the skill-set that I bring to the mix. Doing things the way I used to do does not work in today's fight. I need to learn new things to make myself a more agile Airman and you can do the same. Take advantage of new training. Use the GI bill and get your degree - if not your first, then maybe another. Commit to completing that next level of CDC's or PME. When we combine our professionalism, our expertise and our great wealth of Reserve experience, we Airmen are more agile and more prepared to fit into any situation.

Finally, when I look at readiness, it simply boils down to this: have we done what is required to be ready? All the requirements add up to our ability to be ready: various specialized and recurring training, medical and fitness. They are the cost of doing business ... the ticket to the fight! We must get through all of them and strive to maintain maximum readiness. My commitment to you is to make sure that you have the right tools available to be ready. If you want something or need something to help you be ready or get ready, I'll do everything I can to make that happen for you - within reason, of course! Readiness means this wing can go wherever we need to, whenever we are asked.

By making a conscious decision to be committed to maintaining your personal balance, increasing your professional agility, and keeping up with your individual readiness, this wing will continue to be a relevant fit into today's fight, anywhere, anytime!

Commit to raising your personal BAR and I will remain committed to raising mine.