Pride shines throughout the command

Gen. Robert H.

The ‘outer cover’ of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe speaks volumes of the content inside. The appearance of our installations gives testimony to the incredible people within, routinely performing critical, complex missions, every hour of every day.
Combat Proud, one of our 14 Combat and Special Interest Programs, was established in August 2003 to foster pride and productivity, improve the appearance of our bases, and ensure our long-term force protection posture.
Everyone should be proud of the efforts we’ve put into improving the appearance of the installations across the command, from removing hundreds of temporary containers that cluttered the landscape to demolishing old, unneeded facilities. These efforts make way for an improved quality of life standard – a level we all deserve.
All USAFE bases have worked hard to make their installations a better place to live, work and play. The command-wide effort culminated in an evaluation of our seven main operating bases by a four-person team led by Brig. Gen. Rusty Findley, USAFE Plans and Programs director.
A similar evaluation of six of our geographically separated units is scheduled to be completed in August. The program has been very successful in giving USAFE main installations and GSUs an overdue facelift.
Everyone should be proud of the efforts we’ve put into improving the appearance of each of the installations across the command.
We’ve come a long way and accomplished a great deal over the last year, but there’s still more that can be done to improve the quality of life for our hardworking professionals and our families.

It’s time to take Combat Proud to the next level and begin to focus on improving facility interiors while continuing our efforts on overall base appearance.
Several locations have already begun this process, using the exceptional skills and talents of our people to revitalize facility interiors through the Self-Help Program.
I encourage everyone to take the next step and continue to play an active role by improving the places we live and work.
( Editor’s note: See Page 5 for a list of the 2004 Combat Proud Base Appearance Competition winners.)