Commander' s Corner Published May 7, 2013 By Col Thomas J Owens II 106RQW FS GABRESKI ANG, NY - -- 106th Rescue Wing, It was our distinct honor to have Major General Verle L. Johnston Jr., NYANG Commander, along with NY State Command Chief Richard King with us over the May UTA and to have them assist in recognizing our Family Readiness Group civilian members, Community College of the Air Force graduates and our Airmen of the Quarter award winners. At our Wing formation we recognized the Family Readiness Group and its coordinator, Lisa D'Agostino. We cannot do what we do without the tremendous support of our family, friends, and our community. We are lucky to have the most outstanding Family Readiness Group in the world here at the 106th. We also have many in uniform who are part of the Family Readiness Group and we really appreciate the time that everyone puts in. As the spring school semester comes to an end I would like to remind everyone of the importance of education in our profession. A Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) degree is a key component in our success as military members in today's Air Guard. Our Wing has a great relationship with Suffolk County Community College who is available to work together with our members to assist them in obtaining credits toward a CCAF degree. In keeping with our May theme, "Wingman Day and 101 Critical Days of Summer" and our sub theme of "SABC and Hurricane Season Preparedness", I would like to stress that being a wingman is about caring for one another. I am reminded about how former Command Chief Reiter once said, when referring to the men and women of the wing, "I have over a thousand wingmen right here." We all have a responsibility to care for each other. I strongly suggest we renew the wingman concept every day. The wingman concept is A.C.E. This stands for ASK your wingman if he is okay, CARE about your wingman, and ESCORT your wingman if he or she needs assistance; the wingman concept absolutely works. The summer is a time when people like to go out and have fun, and the 101 critical days of summer are just around the corner. We must adhere to the lessons learned from our yearly 101 critical day's safety presentations. We must take these lessons out to our communities and families, to ensure that we are all around to enjoy each other after the 101 critical days are over. We can be sure to have a safe and happy summer so long as we are using good safety practices throughout.