Col. Hull's farewell message

  • Published
  • By Col. Diane Hull
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing
Greetings! It's a great day to be an Airman and a great day to be a Warrior of the North! Next week marks the official end of my tenure as your wing commander. I can't believe it's been 2 years since I joined Team Grand Forks. The time/space continuum is definitely out of alignment, as it seems we've only been here a few short weeks. That's what happens when one fully immerses in a mission or cause greater than oneself and is completely invested in the team they work with...time flies! 

I still remember hearing the news that we were going "up North" to the 319 ARW, and all the stories people wanted to tell me about how cold and scary Grand Forks was. Of course, none of those people had ever actually been to Grand Forks and had no idea what they were talking about! True, it is bitterly cold and windy here, but you'll never find a more perfect convergence of mission, warriors and community than what we have in Grand Forks.

This has been a dream job for me; there is no better job for a colonel in the Air Force than being the commander of the 319 ARW! We are Warriors who stand ready to be our nation's sword and shield, just like it says in the Airman's Creed. Warriors of the North have character and a spirit that truly defines what we are. Warriors display vigor, courage and aggressiveness and you can see that in the way we serve, whether it's defending the base, driving a convoy, maintaining vehicles, aircraft or comm. capabilities; arranging contracts, providing financial or personnel services; refueling a bomber, transporting cargo and patients or delivering medical care. This spirit applies equally to athletic competition, politics, or in the way you attack your staff duties and the giant "pile" of e-paperwork that's on your computer. Warriors of the North have an attitude of service, pride and confidence that inspires and pervades our thoughts, feelings and actions. It's what allows us to take our Air Force core values of integrity, service and excellence and put them into practice as American Airmen, even when we don't feel like it. This attitude can fill in any minor gaps we may have in skill or experience, and allows us to persevere, keep learning, and be good team mates and wingmen. I have to say it...it's channeling your inner SVEN! Reaching inside and remembering what defines a Grand Forks Warrior of the North...we are all about Service, Vision, Expeditionary excellence and Nerve.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve with all of you. You are an amazing and elite organization that makes unmatched contributions to winning today's fight. What you do every day is nothing short of incredible. Warriors of the North have the highest per capita deployment rate in Air Mobility Command, yet we are the smallest wing. We've flown over 60,000 flying hours in the past 2 years, more than any other tanker unit in the world. We are the benchmark for tanker ops and expeditionary combat support and can prove it with our "Excellent" inspection results in the UCI, LSEP, ATSEP, ASEV and HSI, not to mention the more than 70 AF and Major Command level awards we've won in the last 2 years. You did all that and more, all while fighting the Global War on Terror. You channeled your inner SVENs, exceeded my every expectation and overcame every challenge. I thank each and every one of you, military, civilian and family member for your commitment, your dedication, and your service.

No commander has ever been more blessed.