Secretary of Air Force bids farewell, tweets: ‘Aim high, airmen! I know you will.’
The Air Force family said goodbye Wednesday to the 23rd Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James.
Robins Air Force Base tweeted about the time-honored farewell ceremony Thursday.
James bids farewell as SecAF https://t.co/8UmzjccKDZ
— Robins AFB (@RobinsAFB_GA) January 12, 2017
James led the Air Force for three years. The ceremony was held at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
James was responsible for organizing, training and equipping and providing for the Air Force’s nearly 660,000 active-duty, guard, reserve and civilian personnel and their families, according to her biography on the Air Force website.
“Because of your leadership, the United States Air Force is better prepared to fly, fight and win than at any time in history,” Secretary of Defense Ash Carter was quoted as saying at the ceremony in an article on the Air Force website. “Thank you, Debbie James, for your service to this country, for your commitment to our airmen, to their families, and to the joint force. We’re safer today because of you.”
James was quoted in an Air Force article on the Joint Base Andrews website: “When I took the job back in December 2013, I knew it would be the honor of my professional lifetime.
“What I didn’t fully understand, at that time, is what an absolute joy it would be and what I would learn from all of you.”
James also tweeted a farewell.
#Airmen: I cannot express how much it has meant to me to be counted among your number for the last 3 yrs. Aim high, Airmen! I know you will.
— Deborah Lee James (@SecAF23) January 11, 2017
Becky Purser: 478-256-9559, @BecPurser
This story was originally published January 12, 2017 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Secretary of Air Force bids farewell, tweets: ‘Aim high, airmen! I know you will.’."