General Myers praises troops, addresses concerns during A/TA convention Published Oct. 29, 2004 DALLAS -- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers addressed this years Airlift/Tanker Association convention here Oct. 29 with one main goal in mind.I wanted to look you in the eye and tell you how important you are to this great country of ours you are our future, he said. Thank you for what you do.People think I go out to these (events) to motivate the troops, but in reality its the exact opposite, he said. It charges me up so I can go back to Washington and try to represent the things you need.In addition to expressing his gratitude, the chairman also used the opportunity to entertain questions from the attendees about topics ranging from strategies for pacing ourselves for the extended war on terror, to long-term plans for an American presence in Iraq.Although all the services are working on [pacing themselves], the Air Force is handling [the high operations tempo] reasonably well with the [Air Expeditionary Force] system, he said. There is major restructuring in the Army to try to get the right balance between active (duty) and Reserves, and the right skill sets needed.The general offered his perspective on the Global War on Terrorism, and encouraged attendees to take pride in an effort that will likely be a long one.This isnt a short sprint; were running a marathon for freedom, and its the most important race weve ever run, said the general. This war is about two opposite and incompatible visions of the world competing -- one of tolerance, democracy, freedom, justice and hope on one hand, versus intolerance oppression, violence, and most importantly, fear on the other. The question is, what kind of world do we want to leave to our children and grandchildren?'"General Myers noted the progress the military has made in deployed locations like Afghanistan and said, The road to democracy is a tough one, but the hard work is underway.Were making great progress, added the general. Its probably hard to get a real feel for that unless youre living in a place like Iraq, Afghanistan or Djibouti.Describing the importance of the recent election to furthering democracy in Afghanistan, General Myers pointed that the people of that war-torn country went from a tyrannical regime to their first election, an event made possible by Americas military presence.If you think about it, [the progress] is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of all of you." he said.The prospect of eventual stability in Iraq prompted a question concerning the possibility of permanent U.S. bases in Iraq in the future.That remains to be seen, the general said. If we stay on track with the elections in Iraq scheduled for January, the new government might have a whole different view of coalition forces. That will be up to the new Iraqi government.The chairman concluded his presentation by participating in award presentations recognizing the winners of the Gen. P.K. Carlton Award for Valor. Normally given to individuals, this years award went to the entire crew of an MC-130H for heroism and superior performance in March 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also helped present the Airlift/Tanker Associations annual Gen. Robert E. Dutch Huyser Awards to five outstanding aircrew members. Air Mobility Command News Service is a service of the Internal Division Office of Public Affairs 503 Ward Drive, Room 214 Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 62225-5335 618-229-7821