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Show 3 Hilltop September 7, 2000 Nation understands, appreciates sacrifices we make dealing with millions of dollars worth of equipment every day? How many of them can say if they dont get their job done exactly right, someone else may pay the price with their life? And who among them can say that what they do provides security for an entire country? How many of them can say they lived away from their loved ones for months on end because it was important to the well being of the nation? And how many of your peers do you believe have thought about the possibility they Could give their life in the course of doing their job? There are some. Certainly police and firefighters provide our communities with protection and certainly they risk their lives, but military members do this on the grand scale for the whole. Someone actually does think about your sacrifices our grateful nation that so readily honors our veterans. It is precisely because many people have pondered these sacrifices that veterans are remembered so much for their service, even 40 or 50 years after they have left active duty. At the military funeral I was thinking, here lies a man who put his life on the line to protect us all. Was he any braver than the rest? Maybe, maybe not. But when this country had a tough job to do, there is no doubt that he stood and said, Ill do it. Whether you realize it or not, you are that person, right now, right here. You have said, Ill go to the far corners of the earth. Ill endure long separations from my loved ones. You ask little in return considering what you give this nation. To you it may seem like any other job, but your country will remember your sacrifices for all of your days. You have, in essence, stood and said, Ill do by Lt. Col. Dave Henderson Director of operations 384th Air Refueling Squadron McCONNELL AFB, Kan. (AFPN) Recently, I attended a military funeral and during the service I reflected. Why is it, 40 years after a veteran has left the military, people so strongly remember that this individual served his country? I can remember when World War II veterans from my local community died, and for each one there is as much in their obituary about their military service as for the other 60 or more years of their life. How can it be that these people are remembered so much for what ultimately was a relatively few years of their life? I think the answer is sacrifice. By the very fact they were veterans, these people gave some period of their lives for the good of this nation. They didnt all give the same. Some answered the call during a time of crisis, while others spent an entire career in the military. Some maintained, some operated, some administered. Some supplied the bullets to the front, some fired the bullets across the front, some didnt return from the front. All answered the call. Consider these honored veterans, and think about what you are doing now. Perhaps you think you simply go to the office or the flightline and put in your 12 hours. Or perhaps you look ahead to the day when you can make the transition back to civilian life. Either way, dont miss the here and now. Each day, we all live an adventure. Sure, it may sound like a commercial, but think about it. How many of your old friends from back home are it. Is this how Id like to be treated? RANDOLPH AFB, Texas (AFPN) www.fvap.ncr.gov. Every installation has an installation voting officer who can assist airmen and their family members, Barnard said. Base telephone operators can refer members to their installation voting officer, who will have a supply of Federal Post Card Registration and Absentee Ballot Request cards as well as the voting guides to assist in filling out and mailing them. If members dont receive their ballots 30-4- 5 days before the election, they can contact their local election officials or installation voting officers ' for assistance. Maj. Kevin Johnson, Hill AFB installation voting A list of unit officer, can be reached at Ext. is counselors available voting by clicking on the Voter Information link at the Hill website, www.hilLafmfl. For more information, Air Force members may contact their installation voting officer or contact the USAF voting action office at DSN 3 or ofAFPC News (Courtesy Service) 665-256- by Senior Airman Tim Johnson 77th Communications Squadron I get paid to McCLELLAN AFB, Calif. (AFPN) do what I do. Theres no need to thank me. The joy in your eyes has already done that a thousand-fold- . Hilltop Times Published by MorMedia, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with Hill AFB. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of the Hilltop Times are I send this message to everyone who has ever given me a pat on the back and said, Thanks for coming, or Thanks for the support, or Good job. As Sgt. Joe Friday said on almost every episode of Dragnet, Its my job. Thats what I do. I was there when you were promoted, when you received your first quarterly award and Ill be there when you retire. You dont remember my presence. I was invisible. Its my job. Thats what I do. As the national anthem was played for you that day, the glorious music had to come from some- there being honored. I where I played it. The microphone they announced your name on? Its mine. Remember the speakers that proudly boomed your name out for everyone to hear? Theyre mine too. That look of pride on your face that brightened the room? That belongs to me too. It means I did a good job. Thats what customer service is all about. I think customer service is different to others than it is to me . I hope I can shed some light on what its supposed to be. Its not to make sure the customer is satisfied. Its to be satisfied, when the customer is happy. . I deal with customers every day here. Each and every one is a person, and my personal responsibility. Whether they need something as simple as having a pager activated, or a painstaking audiovideo it will be done as well as I can! system set-up, not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. The appearance of advertisements in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or MorMedia, Inc., of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without, regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Ogden Air Logistics Center Public Affairs Office staff in Bldg. 102, second floor. Call Ext. with story ideas or comments, or send to hiIltop.pahill.af.mil. Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are U.S. Air Force photos. TO PLACE AN ADVERTISEMENT, CALL get this drive for excellence from one source. I ; put myself in the shoes of my customer. I picture me needing a phone or a pager. I picture myself up Im a military professional. Air Force people building the world's most respected Air and Space Force !i 7 i m fV-- i A Quality Systems for Americas Air Force Lt. Col. Dave Henderson ustomer service Voter registration deadline nears for general election The Air Force Personnel Center is emphasizing the importance of registering and requesting absentee ballots. The 2000 general election date is closing in, so voters need to remember to register and request absentee ballots, said Tech. Sgt. Sophia Barnard, Air Force voting program project officer. Voters can register and request absentee ballots by filling out a Standard Form 76, Federal Post Card Application. There are now 42 states that accept the online version of the FPCA, so check out the Federal Voting Assistance Program Web site to see if your state is one of them. Deadlines and other state specific rules on voter registration are published in the Federal Voting Assistance Guide which is available from installation voting officers or on the FVAP web site, How many ofyour old friends from back home are dealing with millions of dollars worth of equipment every day? How many of them can say if they dont get their job done exactly right, someone else may pay the price with their life? And who among them can say that what they do provides security for an entire country? . I hear someone speaking so eloquently about our nation, our fallen comrades and our flag, then I imagine him or her honoring me. Its amazing how excellence in all we do applies to something as simple as pushing a button at the right time. It does! When you put yourself in your customers shoes, it sheds a new light on things. Suddenly you have a need. You have questions to be answered. You need the help of a professional a military pro- fessional. recently set up an audiovideo system for the retirement of a colonel here who spent 30 years on active duty. He shed a few tears during the cere-- ' I mony. The flag was ceremoniously folded in honor of his decades of service. I played music to accompany the folding. It sounds so simple, but what I didnt realize is that it was one of the most important days in his life. I was a big part of that. No matter what your job is for our country, you have customers. Some of them you may never see. When you do something as simple as take some--one- s blood pressure, service their vehicle, show them a good diet, give them a phone number, fix their computer, or just answer a question, put yourself in their shoes and ask, Is this how I like to be treated? When you answer, yes, be proud, and remember this: The customer isnt always right, but they are always the customer, and you touch their lives every day. Global Power and Reach for America." Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Maj. Gen. Scott Bergren Maj. Sam Hudspath. Bill Orndorff Mary Galbraith, Gary Boyle, Senior Airman Russ Martin Deadlines: Commander, Director, Public Affairs Editor OO-AL- C Staff writers Editorial and Around the Hill items, 3 p.m. Thursday, seven days before publication; sports articles, 9 a.m. Monday, week of publication; classified ads, 2 p.m. Tuesday, week of publication. For more information, call the editor, Ext. 625-430- 0 |