COMMENTARY: Standing on the shoulders of giants Published May 9, 2007 By Maj. Ted Breuker, 47th Security Forces Squadron commander LAUGHLIN AFB, Texas -- We could never get anywhere if it were not for the efforts of those who have gone before us and those who work with us. The women and men of the 47th Security Forces Squadron simply amaze me. I know that every squadron commander worth his or her salt is proud of their unit, but I am truly astounded! This is just one testament to the indomitable spirit of the Airman. Each and every member of Team XL is part of something bigger--the most powerful Air Force the world has ever seen. I know the recent Operational Readiness Inspection was not combat, but I've seen people go to and return from the area-of-responsibility during the ORI and the run up to it. I've seen the steely-eyed determination of Airmen of all ranks who would accept nothing less than getting the mission done right. Every Airman has a distinct and valuable contribution to mission accomplishment, but my SF Airmen, civilians, and contractors take their duty to protect and defend the base as an unyielding commitment to our nation and those we protect. I've also had the distinct honor to lead a group of Airmen who seemed to be fighting the power of nature, itself, to get ready for this inspection. This was an amazing effort. At times, it seemed as if they were fighting the impossible fight--every force possible at work to impede progress. We had Airmen shift workers who have been working 60+ hour weeks nonstop for months blow inspectors away with their motivation, hustle, and performance. Airmen who just returned from deployment decided themselves to cut their reconstitution time short to help the squadron when we were extremely short-manned because we had two AEF rotations out at the time. I had staff personnel who created programs from virtually nothing. After years of overdeploying and short manning, programs had gone dormant, but the professionals of my unit turned them around. In sum, we had Airmen of all ranks exceeding their capabilities--as a team, we truly were more than the sum of the parts. Now, what do we do after the ORI? I'll tell you--get even better! Our challenge is to keep the aggressive mindset--look at everything we do, focusing on its impact on the protection of the base. We will use the ORI as a springboard to accomplish great things with the few resources we have. With the professional Airmen I have, we will accomplish the mission effectively and smartly, no matter what the obstacles, and take care of the members and families of the unit while we get there. We will honor those who went before us and those who work with us--without them we would never accomplish anything. We stand on the shoulders of giants.