Pulling G's

In the flying world, pilots refer to the “one-G environment,” meaning the normal gravitational conditions we live in every day. It’s easy to talk about how to fly a maneuver at your desk, or in a one-G environment, but it’s another thing to go out and fly the maneuver when you are facing seven to nine Gs, or fighting the weight of seven to nine times the force of gravity.

The day we each enlisted or first pinned on officer rank was a time of pride and excitement. We were ready to be part of something bigger, to make a difference for our country: “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...”

As soon as we put our boots on the ground in a deployed location, it was time to hold to the promises we made in a one-G environment, time to put actions behind our oaths.

So to our WWII veterans who fought a war that claimed the lives of over 400,000 troops,

To the F-105 Thunderchief pilots who put their all into every fight, risking it all knowing the consequences of being shot down over Vietnam,

To the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Airmen who continue to disarm IEDs, even as enemy tactics continue to evolve,

To the Joint Expeditionary Tasking Airmen who work alongside the Army, patrolling the roads and meeting with local Afghans,

To all those who have been out there, thank you.

**The top photo depicts Col. (later Maj. Gen.) Robert Maloy (left) and Capt. William S. Paul (right) of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing after being rescued by an H-3E Jolly Green Giant from the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on Oct. 15, 1967. Enemy fire hit their F-4 Phantom over North Vietnam, but they reached open water before ejecting. Maloy fractured his back, and Pararescueman (PJ) Airman 1st Class Roger Klenovich (center, wearing red PJ beret) went into the water to help him. (U.S. Air Force photo from National Museum of the USAF)

**The second photo is of a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Laghman Province, Afghanistan, which included 31 Airmen and 52 Soldiers.