Train, Care, Innovate... <Br> Developing Combat Power for Air, Space and Cyberspace Published May 18, 2011 By Brig. Gen. Andrew Mueller 81st Training Wing commander KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- To sustain Team Keesler's excellence, it's important for every member of our team to understand his or her role in how they contribute to the overall mission of our wing. The 81st Training Wing's new mission statement provides a common focus for our entire team so each of us can easily visualize our role and how it fits in enabling our overall mission success. Train Without a doubt, training is the foundation of our wing mission. Training is embodied in the very name of our wing. Since 1941, more than 2.3 million students have graduated from technical training at Keesler, earning initial qualifications in more than 39 different specialties. The training conducted here at Keesler provides Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines with the tools they need to make their individual contributions to the overall mission. Be certain that this technical training provides our students the knowledge, skills and experience which become the foundation for action when they join their operational squadrons. Simply put, the success of the Air Force mission starts with the technical training we provide here at Keesler. Although technical training is a large part of our training mission, we also must continually develop and improve our own abilities through training. As Airmen, we should challenge ourselves to improve our professional skills through advanced training programs to ensure we are able to meet the evolving operational requirements of the Air Force. In addition, we must maintain our readiness by completing the training required to be current in the expeditionary skills needed to operate in a deployed environment. Care It's extremely important to our mission to care for our most important resource ... our people. A large portion of our wing exists to provide some level of care for the full spectrum of Airmen, including active duty, Reservists, Guardsmen, civilians, family members and retirees who rely on our team for support. Our wing is at the forefront of delivering state-of-the art health care services as well as providing award-winning programs designed to increase the quality of life and improve the morale of our fellow Airmen and their families. Innovate Innovation is the enabler of continuous process improvement in our wing. As new technology becomes available, we enhance our core mission functions by leveraging these opportunities to become more effective and efficient in delivering our services. Innovation is especially important when faced with the current challenges of reduced resources, increased operations tempo and mission growth. Innovation allows us to increase the wing's capacity to execute today's mission within an environment of limited resources. When the citizens of Biloxi envisioned an Air Corps technical training center on the Gulf Coast, I'm certain they did it with training, caring and innovating in mind as these words have been dominate themes in Team Keesler's mission throughout our 70-year heritage. Make no mistake -- the mission of the 81st Training Wing is very important and everyone plays a critical role in ensuring our mission success. We cannot train, care or innovate without you! Train to Fight! Train to Win!