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Show May 3 2001 388th OSS to have By Senior Airman Cindy Huston 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs changes-comman- d ' Lt. Col. Paul Strickland, 388th Fighter Wing chief of safety, will replace Lt. Col. Marc Dippold as ihe 388th d Operations Support Squadron commander during a ceremony 3 p.m. tomorrow in Hangar 37. Colonel Dippold will take o er as the 388th Operations Group deputy commander. "Squadron command is the best job in the Air Force, but being the Raptor commander w as the pinnacle," said Colonel Dippold w ho lead the 388th OSS for 4 months. "It was a distinct honor and privilege to be the Raptor commander, and I leave comforted by the fact the squadron will be in good hands. I've known Lieutenant Colonel Strickland for many years - he is an outstanding leader and I wish him the best of luck." Colonel Strickland brings with him many years of Air Force expciicncc. He was a distinguished graduate from squadron officer's school and is looking forward to becoming part of the Raptor team. is not about me, it is about "This the men and w omen of the 388th Operations Support Squadron and our efforts to instill trust, efficiency and enthusiasm in accomplishing the 388th Fighter Wing mission," said Colonel Strickland. "Abraham Lincoln once said, 'Whatever you arc, be a good one.' As the operations support squadron commander, I look forward to fulfilling President Lincoln's edict." - . change-of-comman- - - V A , ( 1 change-of-comma- PO- nd Photo by StafiSgt Brtan Bjfrvt ' Lt Col. Paul Strickland, 388th Fighter Wing Chief of Safety, prepares to launch his aircraft while Airman 1st Class Everett Maynard, 4th Fighter Squadron Crew Chief straps him in. Colonel Strickland will replace Lt. Col. Marc; Dippold as the 388th Operations support squadron commander during a cnange or command ceremony r Commentary... W- lake the time to stop and from page A The ceremony offered Colonel Strickland a unique opportunity to fulfill his promise to Colonel Dyczkowski. He sent the POWMIA bracelet and a letter to Mrs. Dyczkowski through the 421st FS delegation. The note explained why Colonel Strickland carried the bracelet for so many years, described the bracelet's significance to him and offered his condolences. "I was very proud to carry (the bracelet) for someone I consider a fellow fighter pilot," he said explaining why he wanted to return the bracelet and the note to Colonel Dyczkowski 's family. "I was very hopeful I could bring another aspect of closure to his family." Although Colonel Strickland knew little about his bracelet's namesake, he felt a kinship with Colonel Dyczkowski that all fighter pilots share. "It's easy to relate to anybody in the fighter community," said Colonel Strickland. "There's an underlying respect for service before self we have all signed up to do what (Colonel did which was to give his life for his country. That was the ultimate sacrifice." Mrs. Dyczkowski said she was moved when Capt. Stephen Jost, 421st FS chief of weapons and tactics, gave her the bracelet and letter from Colonel Strickland, and the additional memorabilia from the 42 1 st. She added that she was extremely grateful for the ceremony and flyover. She said she appreciates how much the 42 1 st FS and Colonel Strickland did to pay their respects and preserve her husband's memory. "It was a lovely ceremony," said Mrs. Dyczkowski. "It meant so much to me, to all of our family. The hero I'd been telling my children about all these years finally came home." Dyc-zows- - ki) thank people for hardwork ters of appreciation (LOA) or just stopping to say a simple "Many times as officers, we forget thank you?" Sadly, I admitted that we often forget the impact a simple letter has" 1st Lt. Tamara O'Donnell; 388th OSS section commander Job: r - i7V. 'rw information manager Unit: 388th Fighter Wing Time in Service: 9 months Goals: to obtain a degree in com- puter science Most Recent Accomplishment? directly involved in the conversion of all the wing's publications to a new d format web-base- . e, the Air Force, Who knows, one LOA or thank you letter may just be what keeps an individual in the Air " Force. ;) ii JustacQupledays. to take the time to type a quick thank you note or ago; I spoke with a fellow company grade officer about , LOAs and the impact they have on our careers. As ' express our appreciation on the spot. Many times as officers, we forget the impact a an officer, I've come to realize thank you notes are simple letter can have on the career or lack of a career less important to the career and more important to the for our young troops. I remember the first time I soul. My friend expressed that on the really difficult got a letter of appreciation from the base commander, days when it seems like nothing is going right she I was an airman first class and couldn't a two-sta- r. pulls out her file with those quick little thank you believe a general officer even knew I existed let alone notes. She reviews them to remind herself she's had ' took the time to write me a letter. I really felt like I r an impact to the mission; she's done great things; and made an impact to the mission. Why else would some- C she's helped people along the way. Those quick lit- tie notes sometimes give us the energy to push a lit- -' one so important write a letter to me? LOAs and thank you letters help our young troops tie harder and make an overall better Air Force. ; . 1 ft- - I Name: Sarah Jenkins Rank: airman 1st class j- below-the-zon- Have you stopped to thank your airmen, NCOs, senior NCOs, or officers for the hard work and dedication they give every day? Recently, a young airman asked me "Why have we gotten away from let- - FigHfr Country Published for People Like. t which get selected for senior airman results in actual monetary rewards. LOAs also improve a nominee's chances to win a quarterly or annual award because they remind the supervisor of the great work the individual is doing. Most importantly they tell the individuals they're appreciated and make hem feel more important to the success of the missiop and, Commentary by 1st Lt. Tamara O'Donnell 388th OSS section commander First place, small , commercial-enterpris- e newspaper 1997 and 1998 Air Combat Command Contest Editorial Staff CoL John Weida. Commander Public Affairs Capt. Erin Shuler... .....Chief, Staff Sgt. Brian Bahret Command Information Chief, Senior Airman Cindy Huston..... 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