by Senior Airman Torey Griffith
11th Wing Public Affairs
8/26/2011 - JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, Washington (AFNS) -- Members of the 11th Operations Group here provided a special tour Aug. 16 for the Air Force's highest-ranking enlisted member to take a candid look Airmen here do every day.
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy spoke with members of the U.S. Air Force Band, Air Force Honor Guard and the Air Force Chaplaincy at Arlington National Cemetery, and he saw first-hand how these units and their special mission work to build partnerships with the international community.
"What an impressive organization," Roy said, referring to the 11th OG. "The way we do things today is within a joint, coalition team. The fact that we have this organization here that works with our joint partners every single day within the National Capital Region and abroad says an awful lot about the organization."
Roy stressed the importance of fostering good working relationships with other nations.
"The more we work with partner nations and joint partners, the more we learn about ourselves and how we can do other things more efficiently," he said.
The 11th OG also supports the Air Force's most valuable asset: Airmen. From funeral services provided by the Air Force Honor Guard to the morale-boosting performances by U.S. Air Force Band, the 11th OG supports service members and their families all over the globe.
"A lot of times, we think of the military members as the person (who's) out there doing the mission every day," Roy said. "But sometimes we forget about the family members (who) are there holding the family together, holding the unit together in a lot of cases."
Roy said the 11th OG mission to be the ambassadors of the Air Force to the entire world is one of utmost importance.
"Thank you so much for what you do each and every day, representing the Air Force and representing the United States as a nation," he said. "It is an absolute honor to serve along side each and every one of (you), just as much as it is to serve with Secretary (of the Air Force Michael) Donely and (Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton) Schwartz.
