Diligence delivers . . . .What if? Published July 31, 2009 By Col. Lawrence Martin 6th Air Mobility Wing commander MacDill AFB, Fla. -- What if Thomas Edison had stopped on his 699th try to find a proper filament for the incandescent light bulb? What if George Washington decided to go home when the first snows flew during the bitter winter of 1776 and had not crossed the Delaware? What if Rosa Parks had just stood up? Think about it. How would your life today be different if these three individuals had not persevered? As our wing prepares for its upcoming compliance inspection, never underestimate how your daily effort and your perseverance enables excellence in everything we do. Just as Edison never gave up while learning from every failure, Washington simply refused to abandon the cause of liberty and a very dignified Parks just kept her seat in the face of ridicule and scorn - you, too, must do the hard work required to master and sustain our mission every day. Now's the time to show just how diligent you've been with your preparation. We've already seen great examples of diligence earning excellent results this year right here at MacDill. Our medical group earned an "excellent" during their recent Health Services Inspection, garnering one of the highest scores seen at a CONUS base. Our operations group wowed their inspectors during last month's Aircrew Standardization Evaluation Visit, achieving one of the command's highest aircrew ratings in recent memory and drawing praise for the group's stan-eval performance. These outstanding team results centered on diligent preparation, honest self-appraisal and a focused commitment to excellence. As we prepare for next week's UCI/LSEP/EMI, be proud of the preparation and hard work you've put in. Show our visitors your own sense of excellence and pride in what you do and who you are. Don't step back and hide in the corners when an inspector stops by, step up and demonstrate how you do your job and how you do it well. We've spent long hours and many brain cells to get our processes right, our instructions up to speed and our base ready. I'm proud of your resolve and your hard work! Stand tall, lean forward on your toes and give our visitors your best! But..... don't stop there. Our mission will not end when the inspectors leave; our responsibility to the world, our nation, our Air Force, and each other never ends. Every day American Airmen stand as our nation's guardians of freedom and justice, our nation's sword and shield, its sentry and its avenger. Our wing strives to execute our mission precisely and responsively to earn the trust of everyone we serve, every day, everywhere. We remain accountable for our readiness, always to our wing, ourselves and to you. What if General Hap Arnold hadn't said I want a base here, in south Tampa? What if General Billy Mitchell hadn't pushed for a separate air force? The important lesson to learn, is one our people have already learned. What if you give it your all? What if you give it your best? What if you do this all the time? Then ..... the answer is ...... you are part of our team here at MacDill!