WEBVTT

00:16.479 --> 00:18.739
I am Mass Sergeant , Laura Infante 8

00:18.750 --> 00:20.861
0/4 test group superintendent . And I

00:20.861 --> 00:22.972
am honored to serve as your master of

00:22.972 --> 00:25.028
ceremonies for today's event for the

00:25.028 --> 00:27.194
purpose of military protocol . This is

00:27.194 --> 00:28.972
considered an indoor ceremony .

00:28.972 --> 00:31.139
Military members should not salute but

00:31.139 --> 00:33.306
standard attention during the national

00:33.306 --> 00:35.472
anthem . We invite our civilian guests

00:35.472 --> 00:37.639
to participate by standing and placing

00:37.639 --> 00:39.750
their right hands over their hearts .

01:35.669 --> 01:37.780
Good morning , ladies and gentlemen ,

01:37.780 --> 01:39.947
on behalf of the Air Force Test Center

01:39.947 --> 01:42.169
Commander and presiding officer , Major

01:42.169 --> 01:44.225
General Evan C Dite . Welcome to the

01:44.225 --> 01:46.058
Arnold engineering development ,

01:46.058 --> 01:48.002
complex change of command in which

01:48.002 --> 01:50.002
Colonel Randall Gordon relinquished

01:50.002 --> 01:52.160
command to Colonel Grant Mazel . The

01:52.169 --> 01:53.947
change of command ceremony is a

01:53.947 --> 01:56.002
military tradition rooted in history

01:56.002 --> 01:58.599
and dates back to the time of Frederick

01:58.610 --> 02:02.319
the great of prussia . During that time ,

02:02.330 --> 02:05.040
military organizations developed flags

02:05.050 --> 02:07.272
which were unique to their organization

02:07.272 --> 02:09.383
with specialized colors and designs .

02:09.383 --> 02:11.383
The soldiers followed their leaders

02:11.383 --> 02:13.550
into battle with flag in hand . If the

02:13.550 --> 02:15.828
banner flew proudly after the conflict ,

02:15.828 --> 02:17.939
it was a sign of victory on the field

02:17.939 --> 02:20.161
of battle with its obvious importance .

02:20.161 --> 02:22.190
The flag was soon incorporated into

02:22.199 --> 02:24.366
ancient change of command ceremonies .

02:24.366 --> 02:26.679
The organization's banner was exchanged

02:26.690 --> 02:29.139
in public for all to see the person

02:29.149 --> 02:31.260
holding the flag was the unchallenged

02:31.270 --> 02:33.610
and sovereign leader of the unit . The

02:33.619 --> 02:35.460
modern day ceremony is primarily

02:35.470 --> 02:38.250
symbolic yet it still announces to all

02:38.259 --> 02:40.481
the authority of the incoming commander

02:40.520 --> 02:43.169
in the finest military tradition . The

02:43.179 --> 02:45.539
transfer of command of the command flag

02:45.550 --> 02:47.606
to the incoming commander symbolizes

02:47.606 --> 02:49.990
the assumption of command . The change

02:50.000 --> 02:52.750
of command ceremony is vis is a visible

02:52.759 --> 02:55.039
means of holding the reins of command

02:56.399 --> 02:58.455
of handing the reins of command from

02:58.455 --> 03:00.566
one commander to another . Exchanging

03:00.566 --> 03:02.399
the guide on is more than just a

03:02.399 --> 03:04.288
symbolic tradition . The guide on

03:04.288 --> 03:06.399
identifies the loyalty and allegiance

03:06.399 --> 03:08.399
of the unit , passing it to another

03:08.399 --> 03:10.455
officer was and still is the literal

03:10.455 --> 03:12.860
change of command . Today , the A E DC

03:12.869 --> 03:15.619
guide on will be passed on representing

03:15.630 --> 03:18.889
the responsibility of the unit being

03:18.899 --> 03:20.860
surrendered by one and accepted by

03:20.869 --> 03:23.300
another . Today's ceremony is simple

03:23.309 --> 03:25.365
and direct . The departing commander

03:25.365 --> 03:27.531
will face the presiding officer salute

03:27.531 --> 03:29.919
and say , sir , I relinquish command .

03:30.130 --> 03:31.852
He then steps aside as the new

03:31.852 --> 03:33.963
commander takes his place in front of

03:33.963 --> 03:36.130
the presiding officer . He salutes and

03:36.130 --> 03:38.186
says , sir , I assume command in all

03:38.186 --> 03:40.408
eight spoken words , but in those eight

03:40.408 --> 03:42.979
words are an ending and a beginning for

03:42.990 --> 03:45.157
Colonel Gordon . It marks the end of a

03:45.157 --> 03:47.220
distinguished tour with A E DC for

03:47.229 --> 03:48.951
Colonel Mazel . It heralds the

03:48.951 --> 03:51.173
beginning of a new and challenging tour

03:51.173 --> 03:53.550
of duty to both . We offer our best

03:53.559 --> 03:57.520
wishes . Ladies and

03:57.529 --> 03:59.362
gentlemen , please stand for the

03:59.362 --> 04:01.473
arrival of the official party and the

04:01.473 --> 04:03.640
rendition of our national anthem by Mr

04:03.640 --> 04:02.860
James D .

04:14.320 --> 04:15.320
Is that because

04:20.308 --> 04:21.319
like a 10 year ?

04:48.869 --> 04:51.519
What do you need ? Oh ,

04:55.470 --> 04:58.779
oh , say , can you

04:58.790 --> 05:02.220
see by the dawn's

05:02.230 --> 05:06.019
early light ? What so

05:06.029 --> 05:09.779
proudly ? We hailed

05:10.279 --> 05:13.100
at the twilight's last

05:13.109 --> 05:16.339
gleaming whose broad

05:16.350 --> 05:19.980
stripes and bright stars

05:20.000 --> 05:21.739
through a rule

05:22.869 --> 05:25.540
fight or the

05:25.549 --> 05:29.040
Ramparts we watched

05:29.049 --> 05:32.040
were so gallantly

05:32.049 --> 05:35.399
streaming and the

05:35.410 --> 05:37.559
rockets rained

05:39.570 --> 05:41.679
the bombs birthday

05:44.290 --> 05:47.470
gave proof through the

05:48.529 --> 05:51.700
right that our flag was

05:51.709 --> 05:54.690
still there . Oh

05:54.700 --> 05:58.480
say , does that star

05:58.489 --> 06:02.429
spangled bang yet ?

06:02.549 --> 06:03.519
Wait

06:07.640 --> 06:11.269
or the and of the

06:11.279 --> 06:14.869
free and

06:16.390 --> 06:18.369
of the

06:20.920 --> 06:21.920
you

06:25.250 --> 06:26.250
uh

06:29.640 --> 06:33.570
go for co co her .

06:56.839 --> 06:58.895
Thank you , Mr Dale . And members of

06:58.895 --> 07:00.839
the Robbins Air Force Base , honor

07:00.839 --> 07:02.950
guard . Ladies and gentlemen , please

07:02.950 --> 07:04.895
remain standing for the invocation

07:04.895 --> 07:04.510
provided by Mr Darryl Day .

07:09.869 --> 07:11.869
Good morning . Would you please bow

07:11.869 --> 07:14.209
your heads and pray with me ? Heavenly

07:14.220 --> 07:16.500
Father . We thank you for the blessing

07:16.760 --> 07:18.760
us . Today was such a great day for

07:18.760 --> 07:21.309
this change of command ceremony . Lord ,

07:21.320 --> 07:23.431
we thank you for your presence in our

07:23.431 --> 07:25.431
lives and for the guidance that you

07:25.431 --> 07:27.542
provide each one of us . Lord , as we

07:27.542 --> 07:29.876
pass the mantle of leadership at A E DC .

07:29.876 --> 07:32.540
Today , we lift up Colonel Gordon and

07:32.549 --> 07:35.250
his family . We are grateful for their

07:35.260 --> 07:38.200
years of dedicated service leadership

07:38.519 --> 07:41.279
and the sacrifices they have made for A

07:41.290 --> 07:45.140
E DC in the Air Force . We also give

07:45.149 --> 07:46.982
you thanks for the many years of

07:46.982 --> 07:49.093
service they had given to this nation

07:49.093 --> 07:52.010
over his career . We ask that you bless

07:52.019 --> 07:53.852
them in their future endeavors ,

07:53.899 --> 07:56.679
granting them peace , wisdom and

07:56.690 --> 07:58.690
continued success as they make this

07:58.690 --> 08:02.010
transition in life . As we welcome

08:02.019 --> 08:04.709
Colonel Mazel and his family , we pray

08:04.720 --> 08:07.029
for your anointing upon him and his

08:07.040 --> 08:10.179
family with great authority comes great

08:10.190 --> 08:13.589
responsibility . We ask that you grant

08:13.600 --> 08:16.730
him the strength , the courage and the

08:16.739 --> 08:19.510
wisdom needed to lead this great unit

08:19.519 --> 08:22.320
with integrity and honor . May they

08:22.329 --> 08:24.385
seek your guidance in every decision

08:24.385 --> 08:27.040
and action ? And may their leadership

08:27.049 --> 08:29.820
inspire unity , excellence , and

08:29.829 --> 08:33.500
dedication among those they lead Lord ,

08:33.510 --> 08:35.510
we are thankful for the men and the

08:35.510 --> 08:38.119
women , military , civilian and

08:38.130 --> 08:40.419
contractors who contribute to the

08:40.429 --> 08:43.049
freedom of this nation . We pray for

08:43.059 --> 08:45.226
them and ask that you protect them and

08:45.226 --> 08:47.929
strengthen them as they serve . Give

08:47.940 --> 08:49.718
them the resilience to face the

08:49.718 --> 08:52.340
challenges and the days , the weeks and

08:52.349 --> 08:55.349
the months to come . May they feel your

08:55.359 --> 08:57.248
presence and find comfort in your

08:57.248 --> 09:00.789
protection ? Heavenly Father . We ask

09:00.799 --> 09:03.132
for your blessings upon this transition .

09:03.400 --> 09:05.619
May it be smooth and marked by cooper

09:05.630 --> 09:09.000
operation and mutual respect ? Help us

09:09.010 --> 09:11.520
all to support one another and to

09:11.530 --> 09:13.760
strive together for the common good .

09:15.010 --> 09:17.109
We ask all these things in your

09:17.119 --> 09:20.090
wonderful and holy name . Oh man .

09:26.210 --> 09:28.543
Thank you Mr Day . Ladies and gentlemen ,

09:28.543 --> 09:31.750
please be seated at this time . I would

09:31.760 --> 09:33.760
like to introduce our distinguished

09:33.760 --> 09:35.760
guest in attendance with us today .

09:35.760 --> 09:37.982
Please hold your applause until all are

09:37.982 --> 09:40.204
announced . Joining us today is Colonel

09:40.204 --> 09:42.869
Gordon's wife , Miss Tiffany and their

09:42.880 --> 09:45.349
son Marcus who is joining us virtually ,

09:45.950 --> 09:48.390
his uncle Mr Owen Gordon and his wife

09:48.400 --> 09:51.619
Bobby , his nephew , Andrew Nance , his

09:51.630 --> 09:55.190
cousin Michelle Holst group and her

09:55.200 --> 09:57.789
husband Kevin and his cousin Warren

09:57.799 --> 09:59.710
Gordon and his wife , Jackie .

10:08.390 --> 10:10.557
We are pleased to have with us today .

10:10.690 --> 10:12.940
Colonel Mozelle's family , his wife ,

10:12.950 --> 10:15.599
Miss Evelyn , son , Kelly joining us

10:15.609 --> 10:18.880
virtually as well . His daughter , Lola

10:18.890 --> 10:22.650
Mazel , his mother , MS Pam Mazel , his

10:22.659 --> 10:25.580
brother , Mr Andrew Mazel and niece

10:25.590 --> 10:28.489
Marigold Mazel . Doctor Winston Brown

10:28.500 --> 10:31.609
and his wife , Miss Lally , parents of

10:31.619 --> 10:35.450
Miss Evelyn . Mr Larry Benfield , Mr

10:35.460 --> 10:39.289
Ken Breeden and his wife Jenny Mr Miles

10:39.299 --> 10:42.400
o'reilly , Mr Tim Rager and his wife

10:42.510 --> 10:45.210
Ali Brigadier General US Air Force ,

10:45.219 --> 10:47.940
retired Matthew Heer and his wife ,

10:47.950 --> 10:50.330
Lieutenant Colonel US Army , retired

10:50.340 --> 10:53.659
Leslie , Mr Chris Childress and his

10:53.669 --> 10:57.380
wife Monica Mr Mike Baker , Mr William

10:57.390 --> 10:59.969
Faulkner and Lieutenant Colonel Vincent

11:00.130 --> 11:01.130
Zabala .

11:09.359 --> 11:11.526
We would like to extend a warm welcome

11:11.526 --> 11:14.770
to Major General Evan C Ditte A FTC

11:14.780 --> 11:18.059
commander , Mr Jay Strain Field

11:18.070 --> 11:20.181
representative for Marsha Blackburn ,

11:20.181 --> 11:22.348
United States Senator from Tennessee ,

11:22.530 --> 11:25.989
MS Amy Dennis representative for United

11:26.000 --> 11:28.222
States representative , fourth district

11:28.222 --> 11:31.479
of Tennessee Scott D

11:32.109 --> 11:34.239
desjarlais doctor and Mrs Thomas

11:34.250 --> 11:36.919
Fetterhoff , a FTC , senior leader and

11:36.929 --> 11:40.830
spouse Colonel Kurt Brugman , I ma A

11:40.840 --> 11:43.440
DC commander and his wife Christina

11:43.830 --> 11:46.219
chief master sergeant , Jennifer Cerone

11:46.229 --> 11:48.520
command chief and her daughter mckenzie

11:48.640 --> 11:51.150
Mr Kevin Mucker Hide , deputy director ,

11:51.429 --> 11:55.090
Mr Ed Tucker , technical director , MS

11:55.099 --> 11:57.210
Sarah Beth Morgan Complex support

11:57.219 --> 12:00.039
director , Colonel Jason V 8 0/4 test

12:00.049 --> 12:02.049
group commander and his wife Joey ,

12:02.380 --> 12:06.049
Colonel Carl C camp 7 0/4 test group

12:06.059 --> 12:09.359
commander , Senior Mass James Jordan 7

12:09.369 --> 12:12.770
0/4 test group superintendent Mr Brian

12:12.780 --> 12:16.690
Charger Rava 7 0/4 test group technical

12:16.700 --> 12:19.549
director , Colonel Eric Withrow Test

12:19.559 --> 12:21.900
Support division chief , his wife

12:21.909 --> 12:24.030
Melissa and sons Ri and LA .

12:33.349 --> 12:35.405
We would also like to welcome two of

12:35.405 --> 12:37.710
our past A E DC commanders and current

12:37.719 --> 12:39.809
Arnold Community Council members ,

12:39.820 --> 12:43.080
retired major general Michael Wi Weemer

12:43.849 --> 12:46.789
and retired Colonel Buzz Toth , as well

12:46.799 --> 12:50.489
as Mr Mark Mahalik AC C

12:50.500 --> 12:52.640
member and former deputy director ,

12:53.270 --> 12:56.760
retired Colonel Jim Joe and his wife

12:56.770 --> 13:00.059
Liz AC C member and former test

13:00.070 --> 13:02.799
director . And thank you to all of our

13:02.809 --> 13:05.429
other Arnold Community Council members .

13:05.440 --> 13:07.551
Joining us today , we would also like

13:07.559 --> 13:10.849
to recognize Major Timothy Butler ,

13:10.859 --> 13:13.026
Tennessee National Guard training site

13:13.026 --> 13:15.989
command , Captain Bradley Martin and

13:16.000 --> 13:18.849
sergeant first class , William Broma

13:19.570 --> 13:21.459
Tennessee National Guard training

13:21.459 --> 13:24.320
Center members , Mr John Davis , senior

13:24.330 --> 13:26.460
vice commander , American Legion of

13:26.469 --> 13:28.900
Tennessee and Arnold Air Force Base ,

13:28.909 --> 13:32.760
honorary commanders , Mr Winston Brooks ,

13:32.809 --> 13:35.679
Mr Scott Ladd , Miss Hope Nunley ,

13:36.179 --> 13:39.159
Doctor Katrine Stevens and Miss Susan

13:39.169 --> 13:39.789
Mitchell .

13:48.429 --> 13:50.489
We would also like to recognize test

13:50.500 --> 13:52.500
group support division and squadron

13:52.500 --> 13:54.722
commanders , chiefs and senior enlisted

13:54.729 --> 13:57.450
members present both active and retired

13:57.719 --> 14:00.119
along with other installation contract

14:00.130 --> 14:02.369
leaders , community partners , local

14:02.380 --> 14:05.190
retirees , community , civic based

14:05.200 --> 14:07.422
coworkers and all those watching online

14:07.422 --> 14:08.478
over teams today .

14:16.190 --> 14:17.968
Ladies and gentlemen , it is my

14:17.968 --> 14:19.968
pleasure to introduce the Air Force

14:19.968 --> 14:22.079
Test Center Commander , Major General

14:22.079 --> 14:23.079
Evan Di .

14:31.940 --> 14:34.107
Good morning , everyone . Thank you so

14:34.107 --> 14:36.273
much for taking the time to uh join us

14:36.273 --> 14:38.384
for this important event . It's great

14:38.384 --> 14:38.280
to see our congressional

14:38.289 --> 14:40.567
representatives , uh the Gordon family ,

14:40.567 --> 14:42.599
the Mazel family , all the men and

14:42.609 --> 14:44.900
women of A A DC and also uh former

14:44.909 --> 14:47.690
commanders . Uh but really important is

14:47.700 --> 14:49.679
that community support . Uh So for

14:49.690 --> 14:51.857
Arnold here , this mission wouldn't be

14:51.857 --> 14:53.968
possible without all the support from

14:53.968 --> 14:55.690
the community . So for all the

14:55.690 --> 14:57.912
community leaders and all the community

14:57.912 --> 14:57.520
council representatives , thank you so

14:57.530 --> 14:59.697
much for taking the , the time and for

14:59.697 --> 15:01.808
those joining us online , we wish you

15:01.808 --> 15:03.752
could be here in person , but it's

15:03.752 --> 15:05.919
great to have you here today . So it's

15:05.919 --> 15:05.760
an honor to be here . Change of

15:05.770 --> 15:07.659
commands are important . We get a

15:07.659 --> 15:09.770
chance to celebrate the history , the

15:09.770 --> 15:12.479
mission and the people of A E DC today

15:12.659 --> 15:14.719
and send off a great leader and also

15:14.729 --> 15:16.396
welcome a great leader to the

15:16.396 --> 15:18.580
organization . So it's an honor to be

15:18.590 --> 15:20.312
with you here today . For this

15:20.312 --> 15:22.368
important event , change of commands

15:22.368 --> 15:24.368
are important to the organization .

15:24.368 --> 15:26.534
They're important to the community and

15:26.534 --> 15:28.590
they're important to the customers .

15:28.590 --> 15:28.320
But this one is important to the Air

15:28.330 --> 15:30.552
Force and the Space Force in our nation

15:30.570 --> 15:33.119
for the capability that A A DC has down

15:33.130 --> 15:35.380
here because A A DC is critical to

15:35.390 --> 15:37.557
delivering the future capabilities our

15:37.557 --> 15:40.669
nation needs . General Hap Arnold had a

15:40.679 --> 15:43.140
vision of creating a national aerospace

15:43.150 --> 15:45.206
complex here back in the forties and

15:45.206 --> 15:48.119
fifties and here nearly 75 years later ,

15:48.260 --> 15:50.538
it is flourished into what it is today .

15:50.799 --> 15:52.966
Now , the original vision was to catch

15:52.966 --> 15:55.132
us up with Germany um for what Germany

15:55.132 --> 15:57.410
had because we were behind . But today ,

15:57.410 --> 15:59.521
we have a new pressing challenge with

15:59.521 --> 16:01.632
China and other pure competitors that

16:01.632 --> 16:03.299
are outpacing us in advancing

16:03.299 --> 16:05.520
technology and America needs to keep

16:05.530 --> 16:07.530
our focus and make sure we are

16:07.539 --> 16:09.872
advancing the capabilities that we need .

16:09.872 --> 16:11.928
And Arnold is foundational to making

16:11.928 --> 16:13.928
that happen . So in a few moments ,

16:13.960 --> 16:15.960
we'll transfer the guide on and bid

16:15.960 --> 16:18.127
farewell to Colonel Gordon and welcome

16:18.127 --> 16:20.182
Colonel Mazel . But we also have the

16:20.182 --> 16:20.179
opportunity to celebrate the

16:20.190 --> 16:22.134
achievements of a world class test

16:22.134 --> 16:24.190
organization as we close out another

16:24.190 --> 16:26.570
chapter in ad CS rich history . So

16:26.580 --> 16:28.802
before I go too far , obviously , a lot

16:28.802 --> 16:30.524
of work goes into making these

16:30.524 --> 16:32.580
ceremonies happen . So just uh shout

16:32.580 --> 16:34.802
out a few names here for uh who made it

16:34.802 --> 16:37.136
happen behind the scenes . First of all ,

16:37.136 --> 16:39.136
the uh real master of Ceremonies uh

16:39.136 --> 16:41.136
where's Miss Sonia Smith at ? She's

16:41.136 --> 16:43.247
probably off doing something . But uh

16:43.349 --> 16:45.127
uh so you just pulling this all

16:45.127 --> 16:47.349
together uh master Ar Infante for being

16:47.349 --> 16:49.516
our narrator , uh Mr Mr Darryl day for

16:49.516 --> 16:52.020
the invocation uh for Mr James Dill for

16:52.030 --> 16:53.974
the uh national anthem , the Honor

16:53.974 --> 16:55.863
guard , and then also our project

16:55.863 --> 16:57.974
officers for Captain Click and Master

16:57.974 --> 17:00.197
Sergeant Brotherton and also Lieutenant

17:00.197 --> 17:02.252
Dan Meyer . And that I will say that

17:02.252 --> 17:04.308
was a beautiful national anthem . So

17:04.308 --> 17:04.209
let's give them all a round of applause .

17:11.670 --> 17:13.781
So today , we have the opportunity to

17:13.781 --> 17:15.892
bid farewell to an amazing leader and

17:15.892 --> 17:17.781
commander , Colonel Randall Laz ,

17:17.781 --> 17:20.114
Gordon , his wife Tiffany and their son ,

17:20.114 --> 17:22.337
Marcus Laz has spent the last two years

17:22.337 --> 17:24.281
serving in a place with an amazing

17:24.281 --> 17:26.448
history . As many of you know , A A DC

17:26.448 --> 17:28.448
was originally conceived by General

17:28.448 --> 17:30.614
Arnold . And as I mentioned today , uh

17:30.614 --> 17:32.559
the expanse from when the original

17:32.559 --> 17:34.670
vision has grown dramatically , we're

17:34.670 --> 17:37.449
over 6867 different test capabilities

17:37.459 --> 17:40.739
across seven states . There's 3600

17:40.750 --> 17:42.630
people supporting 200 different

17:42.640 --> 17:45.640
projects , but that threat has changed .

17:45.750 --> 17:48.119
And today the mission going forward is

17:48.130 --> 17:50.130
against the near peer threat , as I

17:50.130 --> 17:52.300
mentioned for China and I know A A DC

17:52.310 --> 17:54.949
is up to the task , the Air Force

17:54.959 --> 17:56.959
realizing this challenge is putting

17:56.959 --> 17:59.181
significant investments into the A E DC

17:59.181 --> 18:01.126
infrastructure . And over the next

18:01.126 --> 18:03.126
several years , billions of dollars

18:03.126 --> 18:04.848
will be spent to invest in new

18:04.848 --> 18:06.903
capabilities to make sure America is

18:06.903 --> 18:08.959
ready for that challenge . That will

18:08.959 --> 18:11.070
include new hypersonic capabilities ,

18:11.070 --> 18:13.292
new wind tunnels , new arc heating test

18:13.292 --> 18:15.626
facilities , a new rocket sled track in ,

18:15.626 --> 18:17.570
in New Mexico . But we have a huge

18:17.570 --> 18:19.681
challenge ahead and we're counting on

18:19.681 --> 18:21.626
the A DC workforce to help deliver

18:21.626 --> 18:23.681
those capabilities . And when I talk

18:23.681 --> 18:25.903
about A DC . It's not just here in , in

18:25.903 --> 18:27.848
uh Tennessee , it's all across the

18:27.848 --> 18:30.040
country . The 7 0/4 test group at

18:30.050 --> 18:32.106
Holloman Air Force Base . New Mexico

18:32.106 --> 18:34.300
operates the Ruckus sled track A GPS

18:34.310 --> 18:36.349
testing organization , a radar

18:36.359 --> 18:38.729
measurement facility , directed energy

18:38.739 --> 18:41.439
testing and also flight testing . And

18:41.449 --> 18:43.616
under the 8 0/4 test group , we have a

18:43.616 --> 18:45.838
ICBM developmental test organization in

18:45.838 --> 18:47.979
Hill Air Force Base , Utah , a space

18:47.989 --> 18:50.211
test organization in Peterson Air Force

18:50.211 --> 18:52.211
Base , Colorado and Wind Tunnels at

18:52.211 --> 18:54.322
Moffett Field , California , and also

18:54.322 --> 18:57.790
White Oak , Maryland A DC is a complex

18:57.800 --> 19:00.270
operation . So we don't just let anyone

19:00.280 --> 19:02.479
take this type of challenge . Command

19:02.489 --> 19:04.045
is a privilege that demands

19:04.045 --> 19:06.156
professional confidence , unrelenting

19:06.156 --> 19:08.156
leadership and selfless sacrifice ,

19:08.156 --> 19:10.211
putting the needs of the mission and

19:10.211 --> 19:12.378
your people above your own and getting

19:12.378 --> 19:14.045
the opportunity to command an

19:14.045 --> 19:16.267
organization with a scope and magnitude

19:16.267 --> 19:18.329
of responsibility of A A DC is truly

19:18.339 --> 19:20.859
special . This complex , wide range of

19:20.869 --> 19:23.619
capabilities , unique workforce and

19:23.630 --> 19:25.463
broad reach across the country ,

19:25.463 --> 19:27.519
present challenges not faced by most

19:27.519 --> 19:29.630
wing commanders . And during the past

19:29.630 --> 19:31.741
two years , the Gordons have met this

19:31.741 --> 19:33.519
challenge and have proven their

19:33.519 --> 19:35.686
abilities . So I'll highlight a couple

19:35.686 --> 19:35.599
of things and then we're going to

19:35.609 --> 19:37.776
present a medal that'll highlight some

19:37.776 --> 19:39.831
of the other things . Uh But uh over

19:39.831 --> 19:42.053
the past two years , uh LAS has made an

19:42.053 --> 19:43.942
amazing impact with obviously the

19:43.942 --> 19:46.109
members of the A A DC team here . They

19:46.119 --> 19:48.341
help stand up an infrastructure Program

19:48.341 --> 19:50.119
Management office uh for future

19:50.119 --> 19:52.230
construction efforts as the Air Force

19:52.230 --> 19:54.008
and Tr Mc invest as I mentioned

19:54.008 --> 19:56.175
billions of dollars to upgrade a AD CS

19:56.175 --> 19:58.341
facilities . These investments will be

19:58.341 --> 20:00.508
critical to providing new capabilities

20:00.508 --> 20:02.619
and additional capacity that has also

20:02.619 --> 20:04.508
advocated and delivered increased

20:04.508 --> 20:06.563
facility restoration and maintenance

20:06.563 --> 20:08.841
funding across the the next five years .

20:08.841 --> 20:10.897
As you drive around Arnold , you can

20:10.897 --> 20:12.952
see that uh some of these facilities

20:12.952 --> 20:14.952
are old and need some tender loving

20:14.952 --> 20:17.008
care and they've quite honestly been

20:17.008 --> 20:19.119
under invested as our nation has been

20:19.119 --> 20:21.286
focused on the Mideast . Uh The demand

20:21.286 --> 20:23.341
on the wind tunnels here has kind of

20:23.341 --> 20:25.452
waned over the years . Uh Now , we're

20:25.452 --> 20:27.508
realizing the critical importance of

20:27.508 --> 20:27.484
all the new technologies we need to

20:27.494 --> 20:29.645
deliver and reinvesting into the

20:29.655 --> 20:31.711
maintenance and the upgrading of the

20:31.711 --> 20:33.877
facilities is hugely important and the

20:33.877 --> 20:35.988
Air Force has realized that and a lot

20:35.988 --> 20:37.933
of that was due to the advocacy of

20:37.933 --> 20:39.933
Colonel Gordon showing for how much

20:39.933 --> 20:42.099
under investments we have put in those

20:42.099 --> 20:41.760
facilities . There's been other

20:41.770 --> 20:43.770
accomplishments as far as advancing

20:43.770 --> 20:45.659
virtual reality and flying at the

20:45.659 --> 20:47.881
flight operations at Holloman , setting

20:47.881 --> 20:49.770
up an innovation cell here at the

20:49.770 --> 20:51.859
Arnold Air Force Base and and also

20:51.869 --> 20:53.980
creating programs to take care of the

20:53.980 --> 20:56.202
people . Uh So Arnold Air Force Base is

20:56.202 --> 20:58.147
kind of a , you know , an isolated

20:58.147 --> 21:00.369
location away from the typical military

21:00.369 --> 21:02.480
infrastructure . So go Colonel Gordon

21:02.480 --> 21:04.647
was very focused on making sure people

21:04.647 --> 21:06.647
programs were a priority here . And

21:06.647 --> 21:08.647
that is a testament to the over 200

21:08.647 --> 21:10.869
people that are sitting in the audience

21:10.869 --> 21:10.650
today . His engagement with the

21:10.660 --> 21:12.780
community , the stakeholders uh

21:12.790 --> 21:15.160
community leadership and a tireless

21:15.170 --> 21:17.920
advocate for a DC in the Air Force has

21:17.930 --> 21:19.986
helped with our recruiting retention

21:19.986 --> 21:21.986
efforts and also the future of this

21:21.986 --> 21:24.152
missions . Colonel Gordon's unwavering

21:24.152 --> 21:25.986
dedication and ceaseless efforts

21:25.986 --> 21:27.986
ensured that A DC has continued its

21:27.986 --> 21:30.041
critical mission and helps shape the

21:30.041 --> 21:33.150
capabilities our nation needs . Last ,

21:33.219 --> 21:35.386
your commitment to air power will have

21:35.386 --> 21:37.163
a lasting impact and many young

21:37.163 --> 21:39.386
warriors will live out your legacy with

21:39.386 --> 21:41.441
the high tech weapons and the future

21:41.441 --> 21:43.552
that A A DC has helped developed this

21:43.552 --> 21:45.552
wing command assignment . Also caps

21:45.552 --> 21:47.719
Colonel Gordon's impressive career and

21:47.719 --> 21:49.719
has contributed to the nation in so

21:49.719 --> 21:51.830
many significant ways . So to quickly

21:51.830 --> 21:53.886
recap , he started as an F-15 combat

21:53.886 --> 21:56.489
pilot was a test pilot for the F-22

21:56.500 --> 21:59.849
F-15 F-16 A 10 and numerous other

21:59.859 --> 22:03.390
platforms . He took our EE sorry E 11

22:03.400 --> 22:05.400
battlefield airborne communications

22:05.400 --> 22:07.289
node aircraft on its first combat

22:07.289 --> 22:09.930
deployment to Afghanistan . He was the

22:09.939 --> 22:12.250
initial director for the Air Force MIT

22:12.260 --> 22:14.510
Initial A I Intelligence Accelerator

22:14.709 --> 22:17.199
which does A I development on the MIT

22:17.209 --> 22:19.760
campus . He was also a key player in af

22:19.780 --> 22:22.002
work's engagement with small businesses

22:22.002 --> 22:23.891
to help leverage everything small

22:23.891 --> 22:26.224
businesses have to offer for our nation .

22:26.224 --> 22:28.336
He also has a joint assignment in the

22:28.336 --> 22:30.447
Pacific where he analyzed the impacts

22:30.447 --> 22:32.336
of future capabilities . But more

22:32.336 --> 22:34.280
importantly , he has led a life of

22:34.280 --> 22:36.336
integrity service before herself and

22:36.336 --> 22:36.250
excellence . And he has been an

22:36.260 --> 22:38.204
outstanding ambassador for the Air

22:38.204 --> 22:40.260
Force . Uh He is constantly engaging

22:40.260 --> 22:42.093
with communities , engaging with

22:42.093 --> 22:44.093
recruiting efforts on podcasts . Uh

22:44.093 --> 22:46.316
Every time I'm on youtube , somehow the

22:46.316 --> 22:48.538
secret algorithm knows . I know him and

22:48.538 --> 22:50.704
I get the video of him teaching at mit

22:50.704 --> 22:52.760
it , it's a little scary . But every

22:52.760 --> 22:54.982
day when I log into my computer , I get

22:54.982 --> 22:57.149
a reminder that Laz is out there doing

22:57.149 --> 22:59.093
some community event . So laz your

22:59.093 --> 23:01.130
impact on the Air Force . Uh Well ,

23:01.140 --> 23:03.362
really is not in the past , it's in the

23:03.362 --> 23:05.584
future for all the recruiting retention

23:05.584 --> 23:07.584
you've done and everything you have

23:07.584 --> 23:09.640
done to advocate for the Air Force .

23:09.640 --> 23:11.862
And we're going to feel that impact for

23:11.862 --> 23:14.029
decades to come so well done and while

23:14.029 --> 23:15.973
Colonel Gordon will be missed , he

23:15.973 --> 23:18.140
isn't the only one that made an impact

23:18.140 --> 23:20.251
on this mission . Tiffany has been an

23:20.251 --> 23:22.140
amazing partner the entire time ,

23:22.140 --> 23:24.362
Tiffany has been an incredible spouse ,

23:24.362 --> 23:26.140
wingman , mother , advocate for

23:26.140 --> 23:28.084
military families and liaison with

23:28.084 --> 23:30.196
local communities . You have done all

23:30.196 --> 23:32.418
this while maintaining a career of your

23:32.418 --> 23:34.640
own and Eric . And I both know you have

23:34.640 --> 23:34.000
been a driving force behind the many

23:34.010 --> 23:36.010
years of successful assignments and

23:36.010 --> 23:38.177
team Gordon's success stories , Eric ,

23:38.177 --> 23:40.232
and I want to thank you on behalf of

23:40.232 --> 23:42.343
the Air Force Test Center and the Air

23:42.343 --> 23:44.399
Force for all you've done to support

23:44.399 --> 23:46.566
Lass and the Air Force throughout your

23:46.566 --> 23:48.566
air Force journey . You have made a

23:48.566 --> 23:50.732
significant impact on so many families

23:50.732 --> 23:52.899
and individuals you'll be missed . But

23:52.899 --> 23:55.010
we are excited to see what's next for

23:55.010 --> 23:56.954
both of you , Las and Tiffany . On

23:56.954 --> 23:58.899
behalf of everyone across the A DC

23:58.899 --> 24:01.066
enterprise , we can't thank you enough

24:01.066 --> 24:01.060
for leading A DC over the past two

24:01.069 --> 24:03.089
years by taking care of both the

24:03.099 --> 24:05.569
mission and the people . You have

24:05.579 --> 24:08.209
elevated this mission to a new set safe

24:08.219 --> 24:10.441
travels to Colorado and congratulations

24:10.441 --> 24:12.552
on a great command . Let's give him a

24:12.552 --> 24:12.479
round of applause .

24:27.619 --> 24:29.619
So it always amazes me that we have

24:29.619 --> 24:31.841
such extraordinary airmen ready to step

24:31.841 --> 24:33.952
up when another leader moves on . And

24:33.952 --> 24:35.897
today is no different . Ladies and

24:35.897 --> 24:37.730
gentlemen , it is my pleasure to

24:37.730 --> 24:39.952
introduce the malls . We warmly welcome

24:39.952 --> 24:42.230
Colonel Grant Missile Mazel , his wife ,

24:42.230 --> 24:44.452
Evelyn , their son , Kelly and daughter

24:44.452 --> 24:46.619
Lorelai and I know Kelly is joining us

24:46.619 --> 24:48.563
online today as is Marcus who's uh

24:48.563 --> 24:50.452
remote today . Uh I'll answer the

24:50.452 --> 24:52.563
question now if you wonder how he got

24:52.563 --> 24:54.619
the call sign missile . Uh Just wait

24:54.619 --> 24:54.160
till you see him running around the

24:54.170 --> 24:56.859
campus here . Uh He is an accomplished

24:56.869 --> 24:59.091
runner and that all comes from his wife

24:59.091 --> 25:01.036
who talked him into running and he

25:01.036 --> 25:03.147
didn't realize he had a secret talent

25:03.147 --> 25:05.147
for running . So uh that's a family

25:05.147 --> 25:07.313
adventure . The , the mazel come to us

25:07.313 --> 25:09.536
from the dry rakes of Edwards Air Force

25:09.536 --> 25:09.079
Base in the California desert where

25:09.089 --> 25:11.311
missile was the deputy commander of the

25:11.311 --> 25:13.422
Air Force Test center working with me

25:13.422 --> 25:15.756
in the headquarters at the headquarters .

25:15.756 --> 25:17.867
He was involved in oversight across A

25:17.867 --> 25:19.978
FT CS entire span of operations which

25:19.978 --> 25:22.033
includes people operating at over 30

25:22.033 --> 25:24.367
sites and $45 billion of infrastructure .

25:24.367 --> 25:26.478
The test enterprise is extremely busy

25:26.478 --> 25:28.367
right now with over 900 different

25:28.367 --> 25:30.311
projects as we work to advance new

25:30.311 --> 25:32.310
aircraft like the B 21 and T seven

25:32.439 --> 25:35.060
field new weapons like the aim 260 long

25:35.069 --> 25:38.270
range standoff uh weapon , advanced

25:38.280 --> 25:40.447
hypersonics capabilities , upgrade the

25:40.447 --> 25:44.020
bomber fleet modernize F-22s F-35s ,

25:44.030 --> 25:46.086
advanced artificial intelligence and

25:46.086 --> 25:47.863
many other products to help our

25:47.863 --> 25:50.030
military maintain a competitive edge .

25:50.030 --> 25:51.752
Colonel Mazel , leadership and

25:51.752 --> 25:53.808
technical competence were awesome to

25:53.808 --> 25:55.641
have at the headquarters and I'm

25:55.641 --> 25:57.752
excited to see him lead A to C in the

25:57.752 --> 25:59.919
challenging road ahead . Colonel Mazel

25:59.919 --> 26:02.086
is a combat tested pilot with over 600

26:02.086 --> 26:04.400
combat hours , an engineer and a tester

26:04.410 --> 26:06.632
at heart . He began his career in the C

26:06.632 --> 26:09.300
130 supported worldwide operations and

26:09.310 --> 26:11.650
six different deployments as a test

26:11.660 --> 26:13.771
pilot . He helped modernize the C 130

26:13.771 --> 26:15.827
fleet with new avionics firefighting

26:15.827 --> 26:18.049
capabilities and service life extension

26:18.049 --> 26:19.827
programs . He also completed an

26:19.827 --> 26:22.079
exchange assignment to the UK where he

26:22.089 --> 26:24.200
was the director of flight operations

26:24.200 --> 26:26.422
and interface with eight of our partner

26:26.422 --> 26:28.478
nations to advance capabilities . He

26:28.478 --> 26:30.533
also led the big safari organization

26:30.533 --> 26:32.700
which is one of our organizations that

26:32.700 --> 26:34.533
does rapid acquisition and rapid

26:34.533 --> 26:36.589
modifications of aircraft to provide

26:36.589 --> 26:38.311
classified capabilities to the

26:38.311 --> 26:40.478
warfighter . He has also served in the

26:40.478 --> 26:42.311
Pentagon in various roles across

26:42.311 --> 26:44.478
acquisition requirements and the joint

26:44.478 --> 26:46.589
staff . Colonel Mall also completed a

26:46.589 --> 26:48.811
tour in Korea and attended an Air Force

26:48.811 --> 26:50.700
fellowship on diplomacy at George

26:50.700 --> 26:52.645
Washington University . And he was

26:52.645 --> 26:54.422
previously the operations group

26:54.422 --> 26:56.422
commander at Edwards Air Force Base

26:56.422 --> 26:58.533
where we have one of the most diverse

26:58.533 --> 26:58.219
fleet of aircraft . Uh prior to

26:58.229 --> 27:00.396
becoming up to be the deputy commander

27:00.396 --> 27:03.209
of A FTC . The past year missile is

27:03.219 --> 27:05.386
joined by his spouse , Evelyn and they

27:05.386 --> 27:07.608
are an impressive team as well and they

27:07.608 --> 27:09.552
have a foundation of strong family

27:09.552 --> 27:11.775
values and a devotion to family service

27:11.775 --> 27:13.608
to our nation . They are outdoor

27:13.608 --> 27:15.830
enthusiasts and has signed up for every

27:15.830 --> 27:18.052
extracurricular activity . I think they

27:18.052 --> 27:19.830
hold the record in the Southern

27:19.830 --> 27:21.775
California for hiking almost every

27:21.775 --> 27:23.997
single trail because every Friday night

27:23.997 --> 27:26.219
they would disappear . They were off in

27:26.219 --> 27:25.390
the mountains on the weekends as they

27:25.400 --> 27:27.456
took their scout troop to go through

27:27.456 --> 27:29.567
adventuress . And I think they've hit

27:29.567 --> 27:31.567
pretty much every park trail and he

27:31.567 --> 27:33.733
knows every single monument uh through

27:33.733 --> 27:35.956
southern California . And I know you'll

27:35.956 --> 27:38.011
find the adventure here in Tennessee

27:38.011 --> 27:37.739
because it's a beautiful uh nature

27:37.750 --> 27:40.500
preserve down here as well . Evelyn was

27:40.510 --> 27:42.343
a member of the school board and

27:42.343 --> 27:44.288
supported the Edwards community in

27:44.288 --> 27:46.399
numerous ways . In summary , they are

27:46.399 --> 27:48.066
the perfect team to lead this

27:48.066 --> 27:50.066
organization going forward . Mr and

27:50.066 --> 27:51.788
Evelyn . Congratulations . I'm

27:51.788 --> 27:54.121
confident you will lead the team . A DC .

27:54.121 --> 27:56.177
With the same passion and dedication

27:56.177 --> 27:56.130
you have shown in your previous

27:56.140 --> 27:58.196
assignments . We look forward to the

27:58.196 --> 28:00.349
future of a DC under your leadership

28:00.449 --> 28:02.616
and know you will meet every challenge

28:02.616 --> 28:04.671
head on while continuing to meet the

28:04.671 --> 28:06.727
vision set by General Arnold over 75

28:06.729 --> 28:08.910
years ago . And just to a little add a

28:08.920 --> 28:10.864
little bit of context right now as

28:10.864 --> 28:12.920
we're here in this room , I can look

28:12.920 --> 28:15.142
out the window and see their movers are

28:15.142 --> 28:17.476
moving household goods into their house ,

28:17.476 --> 28:19.587
probably unsupervised . So I , I know

28:19.587 --> 28:21.698
Evelyn's sitting here going , I gotta

28:21.698 --> 28:23.829
go , I gotta go . Uh so I will keep

28:23.839 --> 28:25.839
right marks short , but they , they

28:25.839 --> 28:27.617
literally left uh California on

28:27.617 --> 28:29.728
Saturday morning , uh driven straight

28:29.728 --> 28:31.950
cross country . Their movers are moving

28:31.950 --> 28:34.061
into the the house today and they are

28:34.061 --> 28:36.117
100% fired up and excited to uh lead

28:36.117 --> 28:39.790
the mission uh going forward finally to

28:39.800 --> 28:42.729
the men and women of A DC . Uh Thank

28:42.739 --> 28:44.906
you for what you've done in the past .

28:44.906 --> 28:47.017
Thank you for your service . A DC has

28:47.017 --> 28:49.017
helped shape air force capabilities

28:49.017 --> 28:50.961
over the decades to ensure our air

28:50.961 --> 28:50.939
force has the competitive edge .

28:51.329 --> 28:53.890
However , today our nation is facing

28:53.900 --> 28:56.150
near peer challenges and America and

28:56.160 --> 28:58.327
future generations are counting on you

28:58.327 --> 29:00.104
to deliver new capabilities and

29:00.104 --> 29:02.327
increase the capacity to help forge our

29:02.327 --> 29:04.382
nation's shield . I'm excited to see

29:04.382 --> 29:06.660
the next chapter in Ad CS Rich history .

29:06.910 --> 29:07.729
Thank you .

29:12.939 --> 29:13.939
Thank you .

29:19.260 --> 29:21.204
Please stand as major general dirt

29:21.260 --> 29:23.482
presents the legion of merit to Colonel

29:23.482 --> 29:27.300
Randall J Gordon . How the

29:27.310 --> 29:30.410
order ? Colonel Ra Randall J Gordon

29:30.420 --> 29:32.587
distinguished himself by exceptionally

29:32.587 --> 29:34.753
meritorious conduct in the performance

29:34.753 --> 29:36.809
of outstanding service to the United

29:36.809 --> 29:38.976
States as Commander Arnold Engineering

29:38.976 --> 29:40.920
Development complex Air Force test

29:40.920 --> 29:42.920
center Air Force Material Command ,

29:42.920 --> 29:45.087
Arnold Air Force Base , Tennessee from

29:45.087 --> 29:48.550
16 , June 2022 to 13 , June

29:48.560 --> 29:51.569
2024 . His leadership and foresight

29:51.579 --> 29:53.635
consistently resulted in significant

29:53.635 --> 29:56.109
contributions to the effectiveness and

29:56.119 --> 29:58.270
success of team Arnold in its test

29:58.280 --> 30:00.329
mission lauded directly by the

30:00.339 --> 30:02.395
Secretary of the Air Force . Colonel

30:02.395 --> 30:04.969
Gordon led the complex across 450 plus

30:04.979 --> 30:07.469
Department of Defense , Foreign partner

30:07.479 --> 30:09.739
and commercial test programs , directly

30:09.750 --> 30:11.770
advancing air force operational in

30:12.420 --> 30:14.900
imperatives and national objectives ,

30:15.030 --> 30:17.252
boasting warfighting capabilities in an

30:17.260 --> 30:20.189
era of great power competition . He

30:20.199 --> 30:22.199
superbly led the Arnold engineering

30:22.199 --> 30:24.390
development complex in the stand up of

30:24.400 --> 30:26.280
the complex's first ever program

30:26.290 --> 30:28.790
acquisition office for the management

30:28.800 --> 30:31.849
of over $3 billion in new hypersonic

30:31.859 --> 30:33.550
facilities and infrastructure

30:33.560 --> 30:35.893
improvements across the next five years .

30:36.189 --> 30:38.510
He also protected a world war two

30:38.520 --> 30:41.599
historical marker gift misidentified to

30:41.609 --> 30:43.776
Congress as a confederate monument and

30:43.776 --> 30:45.998
slated for destruction by the Secretary

30:45.998 --> 30:48.109
of Defense . Finally , his leadership

30:48.109 --> 30:50.400
se secured increased sustainment

30:50.550 --> 30:53.670
funding to to ensure unique test

30:53.680 --> 30:56.239
infrastructure was postured to support

30:56.250 --> 30:58.829
a surge in modernization programs . The

30:58.839 --> 31:01.300
singularly distinctive accomplishments

31:01.310 --> 31:04.199
of Colonel Randall J Gordon culminated

31:04.209 --> 31:06.689
a distinguished career in the service

31:06.699 --> 31:09.339
of his country and reflect great credit

31:09.349 --> 31:11.460
upon himself in the United States Air

31:11.460 --> 31:12.460
Force .

31:51.819 --> 31:54.152
Ladies and gentlemen , please be seated .

31:54.270 --> 31:56.437
It is now my pleasure to introduce the

31:56.437 --> 31:58.714
Arnold Engineering Development Complex ,

31:58.714 --> 32:00.659
Commander Colonel Randall Gordon .

32:02.609 --> 32:06.430
If we get this to work , right ? Ok .

32:06.439 --> 32:08.750
That's how that , how come everyone

32:08.760 --> 32:11.380
knows I have a deathly fear of podiums .

32:11.390 --> 32:14.770
So I stand out here and then um before

32:14.780 --> 32:16.770
I forget I need to thank my wife .

32:17.010 --> 32:19.177
Right ? Thank you to me for being with

32:19.177 --> 32:21.260
me for all this time . You know , we

32:21.270 --> 32:23.381
are completely broke because when you

32:23.381 --> 32:25.548
retire from the Air Force , you didn't

32:25.548 --> 32:27.603
know this location allow or anything

32:27.603 --> 32:29.770
else like that . Uh So I need not wait

32:29.770 --> 32:31.937
for flowers . Uh We run deep framework

32:31.937 --> 32:33.937
and to go have a good time as we're

32:33.937 --> 32:36.103
driving up to Nashville today later on

32:36.103 --> 32:38.214
when we walk out the door . Um and we

32:38.214 --> 32:37.959
have a beautiful home in Colorado

32:37.969 --> 32:40.136
Springs now . And so , uh , you know ,

32:40.136 --> 32:42.136
I invite all of this family to be a

32:42.136 --> 32:44.247
part of that at some point . So thank

32:44.247 --> 32:46.413
you . Thank you to my family , right ?

32:46.413 --> 32:48.636
For making the trip to come down here .

32:48.636 --> 32:48.439
This is now their third trip down to

32:48.449 --> 32:50.560
Tennessee . It's become like a family

32:50.560 --> 32:52.782
tradition to come out and hang out here

32:52.782 --> 32:55.005
on the lake and have a good time . So I

32:55.005 --> 32:54.770
really appreciate the fact that you

32:54.780 --> 32:56.836
made the effort . I know it's not an

32:56.836 --> 32:59.002
easy place to get to . Uh but it means

32:59.002 --> 33:01.169
so much to me to see my family here uh

33:01.169 --> 33:03.336
on this particular day . So , so thank

33:03.336 --> 33:05.599
you all . Um I do need to thank God uh

33:05.630 --> 33:07.797
because for all the times in my life ,

33:07.797 --> 33:10.019
I mean , I am named Lazarus after all .

33:10.019 --> 33:12.130
And so , you know , for all the times

33:12.130 --> 33:14.297
in my life where I thought things were

33:14.297 --> 33:16.519
about at the very end , lo and behold ,

33:16.519 --> 33:16.339
something new came about and it was a

33:16.349 --> 33:18.516
great way with which to kind of bounce

33:18.516 --> 33:20.238
forward and to go out to a new

33:20.238 --> 33:22.182
adventure that was just absolutely

33:22.182 --> 33:24.349
spectacular and fun . Uh And this will

33:24.349 --> 33:26.405
be no different . So I have to think

33:26.405 --> 33:28.349
there . So those are the important

33:28.349 --> 33:28.280
things because I've seen stages where

33:28.290 --> 33:30.512
people predict to make those things and

33:30.512 --> 33:32.457
they walk out the door , they feel

33:32.457 --> 33:32.329
terrible for the rest of their lives .

33:32.339 --> 33:34.395
And I didn't wanna do that this time

33:34.395 --> 33:38.260
around . Um to my A E DC family

33:38.579 --> 33:41.920
and to my Tennessee family . Uh The

33:41.930 --> 33:44.208
only way I can really describe this is ,

33:44.208 --> 33:46.374
is love and we don't really talk a lot

33:46.374 --> 33:48.374
about that as military commanders ,

33:48.374 --> 33:50.263
we're supposed to be , you know ,

33:50.263 --> 33:50.219
upright , broad , straight kind of

33:50.229 --> 33:52.900
folks and we don't use the word love

33:53.219 --> 33:55.330
all that much , but I think we should

33:55.680 --> 33:57.902
because that's what's in my heart today

33:58.060 --> 34:00.640
is love , love for everything that

34:00.650 --> 34:02.920
you've done for us , all the things

34:02.930 --> 34:05.152
that we serve together . And so you can

34:05.152 --> 34:07.374
kind of consider this , this will be my

34:07.374 --> 34:09.597
last speech as an active duty officer .

34:09.597 --> 34:11.919
This is my love note to my AD DC family

34:12.199 --> 34:15.659
and my Tennessee family . So in three

34:15.669 --> 34:18.530
parts , very short because I almost got

34:18.600 --> 34:20.433
us gifts coming in and I totally

34:20.433 --> 34:22.211
understand by the way , it is a

34:22.211 --> 34:24.211
fantastic house . The lake house is

34:24.211 --> 34:26.530
glorious . You're gonna love that . OK .

34:26.540 --> 34:29.120
First part , show my hands , my family .

34:29.290 --> 34:31.679
How many remember the old TV ? Show

34:31.689 --> 34:35.590
Greatest American hero . You can

34:35.620 --> 34:37.879
see who was a boy that was 45 right ?

34:39.620 --> 34:41.731
This is a show that came out in about

34:41.731 --> 34:44.350
1981 time frame . Uh I remember it

34:44.360 --> 34:46.527
really well because the main character

34:46.527 --> 34:48.582
to grace the American hero was a man

34:48.582 --> 34:51.260
named Ralph . Uh He wasn't superman ,

34:51.389 --> 34:53.500
he wasn't batman who could apparently

34:53.500 --> 34:55.722
buy all of his superpowers if he needed

34:55.722 --> 34:57.722
it . Uh Wasn't Iron Man , something

34:57.722 --> 34:59.889
like that . Ralph was a school teacher

35:00.110 --> 35:03.000
in the show that I field trip with his

35:03.010 --> 35:05.459
class and lo and behold one day a UFO

35:05.469 --> 35:08.229
shows up and drops off his package that

35:08.239 --> 35:10.270
has a special suit on the inside of

35:10.280 --> 35:12.409
that package . But the whole shick of

35:12.419 --> 35:14.610
the show is that he doesn't get the

35:14.620 --> 35:17.129
instruction manual to the suit . So he

35:17.139 --> 35:18.917
doesn't know the powers that he

35:18.917 --> 35:21.409
actually has . And the entire show is

35:21.419 --> 35:23.641
about him discovering he can , he can ,

35:23.641 --> 35:25.699
he's a per the bullets , he's got

35:25.709 --> 35:28.439
telekinesis . Uh It , it , it's kind of

35:28.449 --> 35:30.560
funny enough . The suit gives him the

35:30.560 --> 35:34.270
ability to fly but not land So after

35:34.280 --> 35:36.336
the show , he's crashing into things

35:36.336 --> 35:38.391
along the way . But the thing that I

35:38.391 --> 35:40.336
really love about the show is that

35:40.336 --> 35:43.179
Ralph at his core had a heart of gold

35:43.610 --> 35:46.459
and he used those super powers for good

35:47.209 --> 35:49.459
when he very easily could have taken

35:49.469 --> 35:51.469
all those powers and done something

35:51.469 --> 35:53.580
else with it . Later on , you come to

35:53.580 --> 35:55.747
find in the show that the UFO appeared

35:55.747 --> 35:57.858
to a previous person also dropped off

35:57.858 --> 36:00.080
that same suit and that person used all

36:00.080 --> 36:02.025
of those skills to do all types of

36:02.025 --> 36:03.969
terrible things to people . And so

36:03.969 --> 36:06.302
there was a moral dynamic to the shovel ,

36:06.302 --> 36:08.469
right , that I didn't quite pick up on

36:08.469 --> 36:10.525
my seven year old state . But it's a

36:10.525 --> 36:12.580
really interesting thought . And the

36:12.580 --> 36:14.580
reason I bring it up here is that's

36:14.580 --> 36:16.413
exactly command . That's been my

36:16.413 --> 36:18.302
experience with command . Uh when

36:18.302 --> 36:20.413
General lunch gave me a call and said

36:20.413 --> 36:22.636
that I was hitting the gym of AM MC and

36:22.636 --> 36:24.802
he was absolutely right . Uh It was as

36:24.802 --> 36:26.858
if that UFO showed up on my doorstep

36:26.858 --> 36:29.080
and then deposited that red suit with a

36:29.080 --> 36:31.080
black cape . And there's really not

36:31.080 --> 36:33.136
much in the air force that describes

36:33.136 --> 36:35.969
what a commander actually does . And at

36:35.979 --> 36:38.146
the end of the day , what I learned in

36:38.146 --> 36:40.600
command is that who you are on the

36:40.610 --> 36:44.239
inside gets revealed by that command

36:44.250 --> 36:46.409
badge in the same way that the suit

36:46.419 --> 36:49.129
revealed the , the , the soul and the

36:49.139 --> 36:51.379
heart of the person that wore that suit

36:51.389 --> 36:54.310
in that show . So if you are vengeful ,

36:54.320 --> 36:57.219
if you're cold , if you are aloof , if

36:57.229 --> 37:00.209
you're driven by vengeance , then

37:00.219 --> 37:02.441
command will reveal that to the world ,

37:02.441 --> 37:04.386
you cannot hide it . But if you're

37:04.386 --> 37:06.441
driven by something different inside

37:06.441 --> 37:08.949
command will also reveal that as well .

37:09.540 --> 37:11.596
And I was always mindful of this . I

37:11.596 --> 37:13.820
mean , a lot of my ABC family knows

37:13.830 --> 37:15.830
that I get up in the morning pretty

37:15.830 --> 37:17.979
early and I make a routine of the

37:17.989 --> 37:20.350
things that I do and I , I pray I

37:20.360 --> 37:22.582
meditate , I exercise , I think about a

37:22.582 --> 37:24.693
whole bunch of different things . But

37:24.693 --> 37:26.810
one of my prayers was always that you

37:26.820 --> 37:29.290
would see an inner light reflected in

37:29.300 --> 37:31.189
the way in which I interacted and

37:31.189 --> 37:34.810
behaved around you because it matters ,

37:34.820 --> 37:36.931
right ? It completely matters . So we

37:36.931 --> 37:38.987
both that are considering command or

37:38.987 --> 37:41.320
leadership or something like that do it ,

37:41.320 --> 37:43.600
it is fantastically assuring and just

37:43.610 --> 37:45.760
be advised . Uh it will reveal

37:45.790 --> 37:48.080
everything about who you are . And uh

37:48.090 --> 37:50.090
why man must told me the only thing

37:50.090 --> 37:52.201
that really matters at the end of the

37:52.201 --> 37:54.423
day is how you feel about yourself when

37:54.423 --> 37:56.312
you are by yourself . And so even

37:56.312 --> 37:58.201
though general bunch could confer

37:58.201 --> 38:00.479
commands upon me at the end of the day ,

38:00.479 --> 38:02.800
it's only this family that can judge me

38:02.810 --> 38:06.020
and say hopefully I led with light and

38:06.030 --> 38:08.389
with empathy and with love for

38:08.399 --> 38:10.510
everything that we do here . And even

38:10.510 --> 38:12.399
in scenarios where good order and

38:12.399 --> 38:14.343
discipline came , an issue or hard

38:14.343 --> 38:16.455
decisions need to be made . Um , know

38:16.455 --> 38:18.566
that it was always from my standpoint

38:18.566 --> 38:18.560
to explain why we needed to do

38:18.570 --> 38:20.570
something . And if it was something

38:20.570 --> 38:22.848
where there was needed to do something ,

38:22.848 --> 38:24.903
you know , potentially could hurt or

38:24.903 --> 38:26.792
harm someone that was always in a

38:26.792 --> 38:26.653
position of how do we help on the back

38:26.663 --> 38:28.774
side of that ? How do we grow and how

38:28.774 --> 38:30.885
do we build on the back end of that ?

38:30.885 --> 38:33.107
Uh I learned that incidentally from , I

38:33.107 --> 38:35.219
think two of the greatest leaders , I

38:35.219 --> 38:37.274
had a chance to serve with . One was

38:37.274 --> 38:39.330
which for our prior uh vice chief of

38:39.330 --> 38:41.496
staff of the Air Force , the great set

38:41.496 --> 38:43.496
Wilson , uh who made an environment

38:43.496 --> 38:45.607
that was awesome for us at a works to

38:45.607 --> 38:47.719
be able to start up and do things and

38:47.719 --> 38:49.774
then the other uh is a man uh at the

38:49.774 --> 38:51.830
time that was Lieutenant Colonel Ken

38:51.830 --> 38:53.607
Wilsbach , my first operational

38:53.607 --> 38:55.774
commander , now four star commander of

38:55.774 --> 38:57.941
Air Combat Command , Ken Wilsbach , uh

38:57.941 --> 39:00.107
who couldn't be with us here today but

39:00.107 --> 39:02.163
sent some nice messages . Uh earlier

39:02.163 --> 39:04.052
when I talked to him about it , I

39:04.052 --> 39:06.163
learned that from him of leading with

39:06.163 --> 39:08.330
empathy . So that's my first love note

39:08.330 --> 39:10.330
to my AD DC family and my Tennessee

39:10.330 --> 39:12.385
family , my second love note . And I

39:12.385 --> 39:15.645
saw this with Mr Rutland . Uh Ril ,

39:16.340 --> 39:18.340
I saw this with Mike Niederhauser ,

39:18.350 --> 39:21.000
also God rest his soul . And I saw this

39:21.010 --> 39:23.189
with Claude Morse and I , I'll focus a

39:23.199 --> 39:25.366
little bit on Claude because I haven't

39:25.366 --> 39:27.699
had a chance to tell you this story yet .

39:27.699 --> 39:29.699
Uh We heard a little bit about this

39:29.699 --> 39:31.866
Ural Claude when I met Claude . Uh I'm

39:31.866 --> 39:34.032
almost embarrassed to admit this , but

39:34.032 --> 39:36.199
the first thought that went through my

39:36.199 --> 39:38.310
mind when I met Claude is this is the

39:38.310 --> 39:40.366
most handsome dapper dressed . Santa

39:40.366 --> 39:43.870
Claus imitator I have ever seen . He

39:43.879 --> 39:45.768
looked exactly like Santa Claus ,

39:45.768 --> 39:47.823
except Santa Claus in a perfect suit

39:47.823 --> 39:50.046
with everything just tailored just so .

39:50.046 --> 39:52.268
But in time I come to learn that wasn't

39:52.268 --> 39:54.435
really a fair comparison because Santa

39:54.435 --> 39:56.601
only works one day out of the year and

39:56.601 --> 39:58.340
Claude only had one speed full

39:58.350 --> 40:01.250
afterburner power all the way through .

40:01.260 --> 40:04.530
He was an amazing , amazing guy and a

40:04.540 --> 40:07.000
lion of the community , a prior Air

40:07.010 --> 40:09.010
force airman . Uh just one of those

40:09.010 --> 40:11.066
folks that was just pure salt of the

40:11.066 --> 40:13.288
earth kind of stuff . I learned through

40:13.288 --> 40:15.343
my own community council that Claude

40:15.343 --> 40:17.566
help had taken a turn and that if there

40:17.566 --> 40:19.677
was time to go say something to him ,

40:19.677 --> 40:21.399
you'd better hurry . And so on

40:21.399 --> 40:23.621
Veteran's day , I got a chance to drive

40:23.621 --> 40:25.732
up to Nashville to go to the hospital

40:25.732 --> 40:27.899
and to walk in the Claude's room . And

40:27.899 --> 40:30.010
when I walked in there , it was clear

40:30.010 --> 40:32.232
that he was kind of in his final days ,

40:32.232 --> 40:34.343
he didn't have that much left to go .

40:34.343 --> 40:36.510
But what was most amazing about Claude

40:36.510 --> 40:38.732
to me is that as I sat down , he didn't

40:38.732 --> 40:41.649
complain . He made peace with what was

40:41.659 --> 40:45.550
about to happen and rather than try

40:45.560 --> 40:47.782
to spend those last couple of minutes ,

40:47.782 --> 40:49.782
you know , trying to complain about

40:49.782 --> 40:51.838
different things . Would you believe

40:51.838 --> 40:53.949
that family ? He , he made a point to

40:53.949 --> 40:56.171
make me feel love and they told stories

40:56.171 --> 40:58.393
and jokes and they had a good time with

40:58.393 --> 41:00.560
it and clad really couldn't speak very

41:00.560 --> 41:02.671
loudly . So anytime he said something

41:02.671 --> 41:04.616
you really had to lean in , it was

41:04.616 --> 41:04.409
pretty clear that he was pretty weak ,

41:04.520 --> 41:06.742
but it tells you if you don't have that

41:06.742 --> 41:08.798
much energy left . But words you say

41:08.895 --> 41:11.117
are important because they very well be

41:11.117 --> 41:13.284
the last words you say . And the words

41:13.284 --> 41:15.617
of law said were everything about AD DC ,

41:15.617 --> 41:17.728
all the things that he wanted to do ,

41:17.728 --> 41:19.728
but just couldn't get to , which is

41:19.728 --> 41:21.951
amazing considering how much he did for

41:21.951 --> 41:24.117
us and how much he loved the Air Force

41:24.117 --> 41:26.173
and how much he loved his family and

41:26.173 --> 41:28.339
how appreciative it was that the AD DC

41:28.339 --> 41:30.451
commander would take time to come sit

41:30.451 --> 41:32.673
next to the side and , you know , share

41:32.673 --> 41:34.839
a couple of moments with him . I'm not

41:34.839 --> 41:34.600
lying . Family . I , I sat there , I

41:34.610 --> 41:36.721
tried to keep it together . I think I

41:36.721 --> 41:38.888
did a good job . But the moment I left

41:38.888 --> 41:41.520
this room , I lost it and I cried all

41:41.530 --> 41:44.469
the way from the room down to my car

41:45.239 --> 41:47.649
because what it really struck me as is

41:47.659 --> 41:51.169
how blessed we are to serve with people

41:51.179 --> 41:54.419
like that . And throughout the entire

41:54.429 --> 41:56.699
time that I've been here , you all have

41:56.709 --> 41:58.659
stories like that . You've lost

41:58.669 --> 42:01.449
Children . You've faced really

42:01.459 --> 42:03.626
challenging health issues , you've had

42:03.626 --> 42:06.290
challenges in the workplace . But as

42:06.300 --> 42:09.370
always , we made it a point to be

42:09.379 --> 42:11.760
together and to face that together .

42:11.770 --> 42:13.881
Now I bring that up , right ? Because

42:13.881 --> 42:15.937
of the way Claude was showing me his

42:15.937 --> 42:18.103
greatest American superhero suit , his

42:18.103 --> 42:20.270
great suit with a black cape . Again ,

42:20.270 --> 42:22.437
it reveals who you are on the inside .

42:22.437 --> 42:24.437
And Claude was amazing , Claude was

42:24.437 --> 42:26.760
representative of this family of what

42:26.770 --> 42:29.260
we do here . That's important because

42:29.270 --> 42:31.530
as much as we talk about technology and

42:31.540 --> 42:33.810
how we're gonna be on our adversaries ,

42:34.000 --> 42:36.479
I think the superpower that we have is

42:36.489 --> 42:39.179
our team . We have a better team than

42:39.189 --> 42:41.679
they'll ever have period that and

42:41.689 --> 42:43.689
that's what's gonna make it win for

42:43.689 --> 42:46.022
America and it's things like that right ?

42:46.022 --> 42:48.078
Clause examples me because he didn't

42:48.078 --> 42:50.078
last more than about two days after

42:50.078 --> 42:52.189
that . But his last example to me has

42:52.189 --> 42:54.411
always struck with me and I had similar

42:54.411 --> 42:56.522
experiences with my dieter hauser and

42:56.522 --> 42:58.578
similar experiences with Mr Rodman ,

42:58.578 --> 43:00.522
similar experiences with you . And

43:00.522 --> 43:02.689
that's the thing I think the most that

43:02.689 --> 43:04.633
I would miss about serving in this

43:04.633 --> 43:04.409
uniform is having a team that is so

43:04.419 --> 43:06.530
committed that way . So I thank you .

43:06.679 --> 43:08.800
That's my second love note . My last

43:08.810 --> 43:12.510
love note as a complex .

43:12.600 --> 43:15.919
We all have that red superhero suit

43:15.929 --> 43:19.219
with the black K , the things that we

43:19.229 --> 43:21.285
do and General 13 mentioned a lot of

43:21.285 --> 43:23.451
this already . And thank you , sir for

43:23.451 --> 43:25.669
doing that . Thank you . The , the

43:25.679 --> 43:27.846
things that we do here have absolutely

43:27.846 --> 43:30.012
astounded me halfway through my tour .

43:30.012 --> 43:32.012
I kinda came up with this idea that

43:32.012 --> 43:34.909
we're nerds with the patriotic be right .

43:34.919 --> 43:37.790
Our weapon is our data , the shield

43:37.800 --> 43:40.090
that we have is our teams . And I

43:40.100 --> 43:42.211
really do believe that whether or not

43:42.211 --> 43:44.267
we're doing ICBM things or doing our

43:44.267 --> 43:46.211
wind tunnel stuff in various sites

43:46.211 --> 43:48.433
across the country or sled track things

43:48.433 --> 43:50.600
or GPS things , uh , radar measurement

43:50.600 --> 43:52.822
things or we had them extremely climate

43:52.822 --> 43:55.044
lab , all the stuff that they've worked

43:55.044 --> 43:57.267
on down there , the survivability stuff

43:57.267 --> 43:56.810
that we had all the stuff that we did

43:56.820 --> 43:59.949
with space testing out in Colorado . I

43:59.959 --> 44:02.520
have . Absolutely . And I do mean this ,

44:02.530 --> 44:04.850
I have absolutely enjoyed being the

44:04.860 --> 44:07.209
holy living nightmare of adversary

44:07.219 --> 44:09.909
militaries around the world , what we

44:09.919 --> 44:12.189
do here , protect freedom around the

44:12.199 --> 44:15.489
world for at least 24 more hours . And

44:15.500 --> 44:17.510
as a young kid growing up under the

44:17.520 --> 44:20.179
Cold War , mothering one day , as I

44:20.189 --> 44:22.245
would see nuclear missiles come over

44:22.245 --> 44:24.356
the horizon because I lived up in the

44:24.356 --> 44:26.522
northeast and we were certainly on the

44:26.522 --> 44:28.522
target list to be able to go from a

44:28.522 --> 44:30.745
trailer park in upstate New York and to

44:30.745 --> 44:32.911
get a chance to lead and to serve with

44:32.911 --> 44:35.078
people that do that type of capability

44:35.078 --> 44:37.133
here as a commander that it's , it's

44:37.133 --> 44:39.078
customary to say that it's been an

44:39.078 --> 44:41.189
honor and a privilege , but it's more

44:41.189 --> 44:43.356
accurate to say for me , at least that

44:43.356 --> 44:45.522
that's been the summation of my entire

44:45.522 --> 44:47.356
life at work is to serve in this

44:47.356 --> 44:50.310
mission with these people to do what we

44:50.320 --> 44:52.979
do for freedom around the world . So I

44:52.989 --> 44:55.629
wanted to thank my A B DC family , my

44:55.639 --> 44:57.969
Tennessee family to try to do as much

44:57.979 --> 45:00.201
as I could to shake hands and to really

45:00.201 --> 45:02.312
tell you eye to eye how much I really

45:02.312 --> 45:04.312
love you . And I use that word very

45:04.312 --> 45:06.840
deliberately . I love you . Uh If you

45:06.850 --> 45:09.340
are ever in Colorado Springs and you

45:09.350 --> 45:11.572
don't look me up , I'm going to be very

45:11.572 --> 45:14.149
excited . Please come stop by and see

45:14.159 --> 45:16.270
Miss Tiffany and I , because we would

45:16.270 --> 45:18.437
love to have you . My last question is

45:18.437 --> 45:20.603
for the mills . Uh And I've had a long

45:20.603 --> 45:22.603
history with the mills . One of the

45:22.603 --> 45:24.603
advantages of being a test pilot is

45:24.603 --> 45:26.881
that community is extremely small . So ,

45:26.881 --> 45:29.103
you know , everybody and the mills I've

45:29.103 --> 45:31.215
known for a long time . Uh whether or

45:31.215 --> 45:31.120
not we're hanging in the hills over the

45:31.159 --> 45:33.326
hatch should be and having discussions

45:33.326 --> 45:35.492
about chemo thing or whether or not at

45:35.492 --> 45:37.492
Universal Studios and having a good

45:37.492 --> 45:39.381
time with that . Uh It was really

45:39.381 --> 45:41.492
awesome . Uh I'm really sorry , Kelly

45:41.492 --> 45:43.548
couldn't the debate here , but as it

45:43.548 --> 45:45.770
works out , my son didn't either uh but

45:45.770 --> 45:45.495
those two kind of really uh got well

45:45.504 --> 45:47.504
together and they're doing well . I

45:47.504 --> 45:49.337
wish him all the best of luck in

45:49.337 --> 45:49.225
college Lola . It was beautiful . Thank

45:49.235 --> 45:51.346
you for being here again . Wow . It ,

45:51.346 --> 45:54.435
it's an amazing time . I present to you

45:54.445 --> 45:56.389
the Arnold Engineering Development

45:56.389 --> 45:58.985
Complex . General Lunch was 100%

45:58.995 --> 46:01.459
correct . This is the greatest hidden

46:01.469 --> 46:03.939
gem of all of A F MC . Every single

46:03.949 --> 46:05.949
solitary commander that's ever been

46:05.949 --> 46:08.060
here , walks up and says that was the

46:08.060 --> 46:10.171
greatest thing I ever got a chance to

46:10.171 --> 46:12.338
do . And um I now add to that vision ,

46:12.338 --> 46:14.338
uh Please take care of him . Please

46:14.338 --> 46:16.560
take care of this mission because it is

46:16.560 --> 46:18.838
so valuable for what we do for America ,

46:18.838 --> 46:21.060
right ? Not just the US Air Force , but

46:21.060 --> 46:23.116
everything we do for America and our

46:23.116 --> 46:25.227
partner nations . It all runs through

46:25.227 --> 46:27.282
the billions of dollars that we have

46:27.282 --> 46:27.239
here and a very professional workforce .

46:28.040 --> 46:30.318
So I got again . I wanted to thank you .

46:30.318 --> 46:32.449
Thank you for being here . I love you

46:32.459 --> 46:34.600
all . Uh This is the end of this

46:34.610 --> 46:36.610
journey , but it's the beginning of

46:36.610 --> 46:38.721
another and I'll see you on the other

46:38.721 --> 46:39.777
side . Thank you .

47:14.090 --> 47:15.146
Please be seated ,

47:20.040 --> 47:22.699
Mrs Tiffany Gordon , the men and women

47:22.709 --> 47:24.820
of the Arnold Engineering development

47:24.820 --> 47:26.709
complex . Greatly appreciate your

47:26.709 --> 47:28.820
sacrifice , commitment and support to

47:28.820 --> 47:30.909
this base , our families and our

47:30.919 --> 47:33.360
surrounding communities , Colonel

47:33.370 --> 47:35.610
Gordon . It has been our great honor to

47:35.620 --> 47:37.929
serve under your command , the men and

47:37.939 --> 47:39.995
women of A A DC . Thank you for your

47:39.995 --> 47:42.161
leadership support and dedication . We

47:42.161 --> 47:44.217
wish you and your family . Good luck

47:44.217 --> 47:45.828
and godspeed in the future .

47:55.909 --> 47:58.131
Ladies and gentlemen , please stand for

47:58.131 --> 47:59.353
the change of command

48:10.219 --> 48:13.040
attention to orders by order of Major

48:13.050 --> 48:16.300
General Evan CJ . Special order ed

48:16.310 --> 48:19.570
24384 . Colonel Randall Gordon

48:19.580 --> 48:22.090
relinquished command and Colonel Grant

48:22.429 --> 48:24.290
Mazel assumes command of Arnold

48:24.300 --> 48:26.078
Engineering Development Complex

48:26.078 --> 48:29.120
effective 13 June 2024 .

49:01.219 --> 49:02.775
Sir . I shouldn't come in .

49:28.489 --> 49:30.822
Ladies and gentlemen , please be seated .

49:30.822 --> 49:32.989
It is my pleasure to introduce the new

49:32.989 --> 49:35.267
Arnold Engineering Development Complex .

49:35.267 --> 49:37.156
Commander , Colonel Grant Mazel .

49:41.100 --> 49:45.060
Well , good morning and it's

49:45.070 --> 49:46.959
truly a beautiful morning here in

49:46.959 --> 49:49.070
Tennessee . Um I've only been in town

49:49.070 --> 49:51.370
for about 48 hours and while we're

49:51.379 --> 49:53.979
blessed to uh be able to join you in a ,

49:53.989 --> 49:56.156
in an incredible place like this , you

49:56.156 --> 49:58.267
know , they , they closed these slats

49:58.267 --> 50:00.489
here because then you'd just be staring

50:00.489 --> 50:02.711
at the beauty , the beauty of Tennessee

50:02.711 --> 50:04.933
and , and , and not paying attention up

50:04.933 --> 50:04.360
here . So , II , I appreciate that

50:04.370 --> 50:08.169
Sonia . Thank you . Um um I ,

50:08.179 --> 50:10.179
I could not have asked for a better

50:10.179 --> 50:12.235
place or better people to share this

50:12.235 --> 50:15.370
place with a general . Thank you for

50:15.379 --> 50:17.323
your words . Uh Thank you for your

50:17.323 --> 50:19.379
continual stewardship over this test

50:19.379 --> 50:21.540
enterprise . Thank you for your trust

50:21.550 --> 50:23.661
and Evelyn and I to , to take on this

50:23.661 --> 50:25.780
challenge and I , I just wanted to

50:25.790 --> 50:28.820
throw one correction in there , those

50:28.830 --> 50:30.941
uh those movers are supervised . This

50:30.941 --> 50:32.552
is what I call Laissez Faire

50:32.552 --> 50:34.774
supervision . I can , I can just barely

50:34.774 --> 50:37.159
see them . OK . Um

50:38.020 --> 50:41.860
Was you and Tiffany

50:41.870 --> 50:44.639
are amazing human beings ? Uh Thank you

50:44.649 --> 50:48.600
for your words . Um I , I hope that

50:48.610 --> 50:52.500
they are not a uh a foreshadowing . I ,

50:52.510 --> 50:54.510
I hope I could , I could be on your

50:54.510 --> 50:56.621
side of the team and I don't get that

50:56.621 --> 50:58.788
suit and , and uh use it for the wrong

50:58.788 --> 51:01.270
reasons . Um But , but thank you for

51:01.750 --> 51:03.917
being a leader . Thank you for being a

51:03.917 --> 51:06.439
mentor to me . Thank you , Tiffany for

51:06.449 --> 51:08.590
being a mentor to Evelyn . Thank you

51:08.600 --> 51:11.159
for being a role model to us . Thank

51:11.169 --> 51:13.391
you for being an amazing commander of a

51:13.391 --> 51:17.010
DC . Um You have so many adventures

51:17.020 --> 51:19.187
ahead of the two of you . Um I'm , I'm

51:19.187 --> 51:21.353
so excited to see where you go because

51:21.353 --> 51:23.464
because I hope to just follow in your

51:23.464 --> 51:25.631
footsteps the rest of the way . Uh And

51:25.631 --> 51:27.631
you know , I , I can never fill the

51:27.631 --> 51:29.631
shoes , um The , the boots that you

51:29.631 --> 51:32.169
leave behind . Um But I will endeavor

51:32.179 --> 51:34.550
every day to , to be the best possible

51:34.560 --> 51:36.727
teammate to this organization that you

51:36.727 --> 51:40.000
leave us with . So thank you . Um As ,

51:40.010 --> 51:41.954
as uh as you've heard already , it

51:41.954 --> 51:44.010
takes an army to coordinate an event

51:44.010 --> 51:46.177
like this . Um I saw everybody in here

51:46.177 --> 51:48.343
yesterday . It looks like a beehive in

51:48.343 --> 51:50.454
here , setting everything up , making

51:50.454 --> 51:49.899
sure everything was happening and that

51:49.909 --> 51:52.020
was just the culmination of weeks and

51:52.020 --> 51:54.870
weeks of planning . So , um I , I've

51:54.879 --> 51:56.990
got to throw out an extra . Thank you

51:56.990 --> 51:59.101
to all the people who put this , this

51:59.101 --> 52:01.379
event together . Um I'll tell you when ,

52:01.379 --> 52:03.379
when I see the stars and stripes up

52:03.379 --> 52:05.546
there and I hear a rousing anthem like

52:05.546 --> 52:08.300
we did today from JD Dill . Um my chest

52:08.310 --> 52:10.540
gets tight and , and there's not a

52:10.550 --> 52:12.780
better patriotic moment than any event

52:12.790 --> 52:15.179
like that . So thank you JD uh for that ,

52:15.270 --> 52:17.270
the invocation , Darryl . Thank you

52:17.270 --> 52:19.270
very much . That was beautiful . Um

52:19.270 --> 52:22.010
Sergeant Fane , uh Sergeant Orwell .

52:22.020 --> 52:25.620
Thank you . Um , the men and women of A

52:25.629 --> 52:29.110
E DC . Uh Thank you for , for

52:29.120 --> 52:31.287
just this showing . I mean , this is ,

52:31.287 --> 52:33.453
this is an incredible testament to the

52:33.453 --> 52:35.620
leadership of , of the Gordons . Um So

52:35.620 --> 52:37.787
this is , this is great to , to have a

52:37.787 --> 52:40.009
full house like this . Um I , I thought

52:40.009 --> 52:42.120
for a minute , maybe Laz had just run

52:42.120 --> 52:44.064
down the street to the local music

52:44.064 --> 52:46.231
festival and he had just herded people

52:46.231 --> 52:48.398
in um , after seeing the freeways last

52:48.398 --> 52:50.564
night . But , um , but no , I can tell

52:50.564 --> 52:52.898
that , uh everyone's here for him today .

52:52.898 --> 52:54.953
So , um , thanks for being here . Um

52:54.953 --> 52:57.500
All the teams , Sonia , Joy , Camden

52:57.510 --> 53:01.330
Paul , um , the TSD team who , who runs

53:01.340 --> 53:04.260
this event center P A uh for , for uh

53:04.270 --> 53:06.381
putting us out on the net . Robbins ,

53:06.381 --> 53:08.520
honor guard , our parking team , our

53:08.939 --> 53:11.489
team , um , and the many contributors

53:11.500 --> 53:13.444
that I'm sure I'm leaving out . Uh

53:13.444 --> 53:15.629
Thank you so much , uh General Hager

53:16.629 --> 53:18.685
Leslie , thank you for traveling all

53:18.685 --> 53:20.518
this way . It , it's , it's just

53:20.518 --> 53:22.685
incredibly meaningful to , to have you

53:22.685 --> 53:24.740
travel all the way out here for this

53:24.740 --> 53:26.851
event . Um Thank you for leading both

53:26.851 --> 53:29.379
Laz and me . Um Thank you for pushing

53:29.389 --> 53:31.360
both of us to this incredible

53:31.370 --> 53:34.560
leadership opportunity . Um and , and

53:34.570 --> 53:37.550
directing us to this hidden gem of , of

53:37.560 --> 53:41.459
a FTC . Um Larry ,

53:41.479 --> 53:44.020
thank you for marrying Evelyn and I

53:44.030 --> 53:47.959
more than 20 years ago . Um because you

53:47.969 --> 53:49.969
know that for better or worse thing

53:49.969 --> 53:52.136
that you said is really working out in

53:52.136 --> 53:55.379
my favor in this one . But um um

53:55.389 --> 53:57.611
luckily Tennessee is going to be one of

53:57.611 --> 54:00.590
those for better opportunities in there .

54:00.780 --> 54:02.891
Um And , and we're looking forward to

54:02.891 --> 54:06.300
that Dave Vinnie , um my old friends ,

54:06.310 --> 54:08.421
it's , it's great to see you . Thanks

54:08.421 --> 54:10.421
for coming out . Uh Thank you to my

54:10.421 --> 54:13.040
support network , my family , some of

54:13.050 --> 54:14.994
who made it today , others who are

54:14.994 --> 54:17.050
joining us virtually and uh some who

54:17.050 --> 54:19.106
are otherwise occupied continuing to

54:19.106 --> 54:21.050
make the world turn out there . Um

54:21.050 --> 54:23.106
Evelyn Lorelai , thanks for making a

54:23.106 --> 54:25.550
1500 mile journey um at full speed in

54:25.560 --> 54:28.129
just two days across the country . Um

54:28.570 --> 54:30.792
You know , that's 1500 miles , that's a

54:30.792 --> 54:34.489
lot of Taylor Swift albums . Um And if

54:34.500 --> 54:36.389
you have to measure your drive in

54:36.389 --> 54:39.290
Taylor Swift Albums , then , uh um Well ,

54:39.300 --> 54:41.550
we always survived , right ? So , um ,

54:42.530 --> 54:45.550
Kelly , uh joining us online . Um We

54:45.560 --> 54:47.727
miss you um sorry , sorry , you missed

54:47.727 --> 54:49.838
out on that , on that adventure . But

54:49.838 --> 54:51.949
uh we'll figure out how to make it up

54:51.949 --> 54:51.389
to you . We'll drive around the block a

54:51.399 --> 54:53.455
bunch of times or something when you

54:53.455 --> 54:56.530
get here . Um uh Mom and Andrew and

54:56.540 --> 54:58.707
Marigold , thank you for traveling out

54:58.707 --> 55:00.873
here from the west coast . I know that

55:00.873 --> 55:00.739
uh the , the , the weather in , in

55:00.840 --> 55:02.562
Dallas Fort Worth was a little

55:02.562 --> 55:04.562
challenging to , to make it through

55:04.562 --> 55:06.618
last night . But um thank you as you

55:06.618 --> 55:08.451
support yet another move and yet

55:08.451 --> 55:10.618
another location you get to come visit

55:10.618 --> 55:12.562
uh for the , for the holidays . Um

55:12.780 --> 55:16.419
Winston Lally . Uh Thank you so much .

55:16.429 --> 55:18.318
Thank you for trusting the United

55:18.318 --> 55:20.096
States Air Force with your only

55:20.096 --> 55:22.010
daughter and your two grandkids

55:25.280 --> 55:27.280
and , and thank you for taking this

55:27.280 --> 55:29.224
time out of your incredibly busy ,

55:29.224 --> 55:31.860
important lives to , to share with us

55:31.870 --> 55:34.929
in this military milestone to the men

55:34.939 --> 55:38.010
and women of A A DC . Thank you for

55:38.020 --> 55:40.189
allowing me to join your team . Um It

55:40.199 --> 55:42.366
would be an understatement to say that

55:42.366 --> 55:44.939
I am excited to have a role in this

55:44.949 --> 55:47.489
fantastic enterprise . As the Air Force

55:47.500 --> 55:49.667
goes through historic reorganization .

55:50.000 --> 55:52.580
The department continues to pivot to

55:52.590 --> 55:54.760
compete against near peer adversaries

55:55.020 --> 55:57.131
and the United States is required now

55:57.131 --> 55:59.540
more than ever to exercise its global

55:59.550 --> 56:02.739
leadership . I know that this small

56:02.750 --> 56:06.419
team of teams , military civilian and

56:06.429 --> 56:09.330
contractor , airmen and guardians will

56:09.340 --> 56:11.850
continue to forge our nation's next

56:11.860 --> 56:15.820
sword and shield as one role model of

56:15.830 --> 56:19.540
mine still repeats . How does a country

56:19.550 --> 56:22.370
of 300 million compete with a country

56:22.379 --> 56:25.639
of 1.3 billion ? And the answer is

56:25.649 --> 56:29.040
through sheer expertise , will and

56:29.050 --> 56:32.189
patriotism of a , a DC ,

56:32.199 --> 56:35.219
Tennessee . A , a DC , New Mexico , A

56:35.229 --> 56:38.310
DC , Maryland , A DC , Utah , A A DC ,

56:38.320 --> 56:41.770
California , A , a DC , Colorado and

56:41.780 --> 56:43.891
all of our A A DC teams spread across

56:43.891 --> 56:46.639
the globe , the globe . But let's not

56:46.649 --> 56:49.939
get overconfident . We must hone our

56:49.949 --> 56:52.850
skills every day . We must ask

56:52.860 --> 56:55.290
ourselves , what is the most effective

56:55.300 --> 56:58.379
capability we can work on today ? How

56:58.389 --> 57:00.389
do we accelerate that capability of

57:00.389 --> 57:02.445
delivering in the midst of difficult

57:02.445 --> 57:04.611
and critical resource prioritization ?

57:05.209 --> 57:08.139
We must remain that front line who

57:08.149 --> 57:10.093
commits ourselves to answering our

57:10.093 --> 57:12.316
nation's call a commitment that brought

57:12.316 --> 57:15.020
us here to begin with because we must

57:15.030 --> 57:18.459
perform on a level that is not possible

57:18.719 --> 57:20.840
if it's originating from a Communist

57:20.850 --> 57:24.219
party driving stra slave labor , it can

57:24.229 --> 57:26.510
only originate from a society of free

57:26.520 --> 57:29.139
people who willingly sacrifice for the

57:29.149 --> 57:31.560
good of the world . This group of

57:31.570 --> 57:34.959
people , this group A E

57:34.969 --> 57:38.600
DC will ensure that 300 million

57:39.000 --> 57:41.679
keep the technological advantage , the

57:41.689 --> 57:45.629
edge on 1.3 billion . As

57:45.639 --> 57:48.020
you can see , I am excited to be part

57:48.030 --> 57:50.197
of this team . I'm chomping at the bit

57:50.197 --> 57:52.699
to join each one of you in keeping the

57:52.709 --> 57:54.739
American Democratic values in the

57:54.750 --> 57:58.379
driver's seat to join each of you in

57:58.389 --> 58:00.500
preventing an alternative world order

58:01.070 --> 58:03.181
and to join each of you in developing

58:03.181 --> 58:05.181
the next war winning capability for

58:05.181 --> 58:08.350
America . God bless you , you who have

58:08.360 --> 58:10.959
been executing this mission and I'm

58:10.969 --> 58:13.191
ready to join you and get to business .

58:13.191 --> 58:14.191
Thank you .

58:30.919 --> 58:33.409
We extend a warm Tennessee welcome to

58:33.419 --> 58:35.860
the Mazel family . This concludes

58:35.870 --> 58:38.092
today's ceremony . Please stand for the

58:38.092 --> 58:39.981
playing of the Air Force song and

58:39.981 --> 58:42.037
remain standing for the departure of

58:42.037 --> 58:41.860
the official party .

59:19.010 --> 59:20.010
Move on .

59:23.750 --> 59:25.750
We would like to thank everyone for

59:25.750 --> 59:29.739
their attendance . Please join us

59:29.750 --> 59:31.750
for a welcome reception in the Four

59:31.750 --> 59:33.528
Seasons room to the left of the

59:33.528 --> 59:35.694
ballroom in honor of the myself family

59:35.694 --> 59:37.139
once they have departed .

59:42.500 --> 59:42.750
Yes .