RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Black-letter initial - three small words that speak volumes in the maintenance community. 

They mean an aircraft has launched with absolutely no discrepancies, no minor problems waiting on parts or downtime to fix. 

The production supervisor, rather than having to enter a red symbol that indicates the aircraft is OK to fly with the discrepancies that exist, simply enters his or her initial on the forms, telling the aircraft commander and crew that the airplane they're about to fly is discrepancy free. 

As you might imagine, a black-letter initial is a rare occurrence. Aircraft - although the most beautiful machines on the face of this earth - are complex systems composed of multiple subsystems, which in turn are composed of thousands of parts. 

And, those parts break, wear, stretch or get dented. And every one of those discrepancies drives a write-up in the forms. Discrepancies would be easy to fix if we had unlimited parts on hand, and if the mechanics had the time to make repairs.
But that's not the way the refueling business works. 

Crew chiefs can't schedule downtime on their jets to fix non-grounding problems, because their primary job is to generate air refueling combat power - right jet, right place, right time, right fuel load - when the war fighter needs it. Unless the maintenance problem is grounding, the aircraft will more than likely be back on the flying schedule very soon after landing. 

OK, so what's my point? Well, last Friday morning, our maintainers launched aircraft 3562 on a black-letter initial - no write-ups of any kind in the forms. That's a remarkable achievement that cannot be overstated. The crew chiefs on this airplane - Staff Sgt. Mark Marcuson and his assistants Senior Airman Daniel Montgomery, Senior Airman Andrew McNamara and Airman 1st Class Austin Hendrix - displayed a caliber of maintenance expertise and dedication that's second to none. 

I sometimes think we shorten the core values too often. It's certainly easier to say "integrity, service, excellence," but we need to make sure we're honoring each value to its very "core." 

"Excellence" is actually "excellence in all we do," and that's what these professionals displayed. They pursued excellence every time they touched their jet. They tracked the open discrepancies closely to ensure they were making progress toward their goal. 

They took advantage of every opportunity to make repairs, even though it would have sometimes been easier to just wait for a longer period of downtime. And they ultimately delivered an example of "excellence" that represents the very essence of this wing, because it directly supports our core mission. 

I couldn't be prouder of any team than I am of these professional Airmen. They set an example we should all strive to emulate. 

When you're tired and think you'll "get to it later," remember these Airmen. When you think it's "good enough," remember these Airmen. 

No, they're not supermen. They're Airmen like you. But they displayed a discipline and commitment that epitomizes the complete value, the very core of "Excellence in all we do," and I feel truly blessed to have them in this wing.