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An Open Letter to the Warhawk Family

  • Published
  • By Col. Jason Janaros
  • 37th Training Wing Commander

An Open Letter to the Warhawk Family, 

These are challenging times for our country and the world.  Our very way of life is being altered based on COVID-19. I want you to know CMSgt Blazier, Jenn, Leslie, and I are constantly thinking about how this impacts those on our team - because no matter what - YOU remain our primary mission.   

Our Gateway Wing has the high honor of being deemed Mission Essential. We are the largest training wing in the Air Force, responsible for building Airmen and strengthening the partnerships we need to compete, deter, and win. We are home to the Air Force’s only enlisted Basic Military Training (737 TRG), the largest & most diverse Technical Training Group (37 TRG), two significant international/security cooperation missions (IAAFA & DLI), and the DOD Executive Agent for Military Working Dogs & English Language Training.  We are the Gateway to the Air Force, and in many respects, the Gateway to the Americas.  Our wing remains absolutely vital to renew the force and underwrites our ability to defend the nation and deliver air and space power anytime, anyplace.

The Air Force mission is a global one and a noble one. One which has teammates manning critical roles around the clock, at locations stretching across every continent. The duties you perform today represent the sacred lifeblood of those missions, because you build the warfighters who will take the watch one day very soon. Simply stated, our Air Force cannot fly, fight, or win without YOU!

Due to this fact, the Secretary of Defense and our senior Air Force leaders have determined that a lengthy pause or significant disruption to mission-essential training functions at the 37th Training Wing could set our entire service back for years to come. We fuel the force...and if we stop for any extended period, we’ll exhaust the margins of our Air Force capabilities, perhaps to the point of being vulnerable to threats we’ll face in 2021 and beyond.  

We recognize the weight of this task on each of you.  COVID-19 will likely be a 9-11 type of event, defining this generation and how we collectively responded.  It’s also different than anything we have faced, because our families are with us on the frontlines.  Through it all, the safety and wellness of you and your loved ones are our top priority.

You exemplify everything it means to be Caring, Professional, and Ready.  You’ve proven it over and over again, because nothing happens without the pride and passion you bring to the fight each day.  We will continue to serve you in every way possible...as you serve the Air & Space Force, execute our vital missions, and preserve the freedoms we so deeply cherish.    

Thank you for your unwavering service and dedication during these challenging and uncertain times.  It continues to make all the difference. #warhawkstrong  #calmiscontagious                        

Very respectfully,

Your wingmen -- Col. Janaros & Chief Blaze