DCoE Director Shares Air Force Birthday Message

By Navy CAPT Paul S. Hammer, DCoE director

Most of us are able to easily answer the question, “Where are you from?” However, for some it can be a bit more difficult. Many of us who have trouble answering the question have developed a default reply over the years.

When I’m asked, “Where are you from,” I am proud to say that I was an Air Force brat and grew up all over (yes, this is my default reply). Growing up, I wasn’t fully aware of what my dad did or why. My dad was a fighter pilot and, like many other military kids, I attended multiple schools and identified more with my family than with the locale.

In 1966 my dad went to Vietnam. Although he was a fighter pilot by training, he was assigned to a forward air control (FAC) squadron. As part of a FAC in Vietnam, he flew around in this dinky little Piper Cub-like airplane, dropped smoke and directed airstrikes in support of Army ground troops.

One of my dad’s proudest moments was about this time of year almost 50 years ago. He was engaged with the infantry battalion he supported in a large firefight on the ground. He was getting low on fuel, running out of daylight and yet the fight was still intense and a much smaller Army battalion was at risk of getting overrun. So, he directed two fighter airstrikes in hope of helping the smaller Army battalion. Sometime later, my dad ran into the former Army battalion commander from that day in Vietnam who told him how they were able to wipe out an entire enemy regiment.

I was 9 years old when my dad went to Vietnam. It wasn’t until many years later when I was on active duty myself that we were able to have conversations about his military experiences.

We often take our capability for air supremacy for granted but it’s because of the hard work, dedication to duty, and professionalism of the U.S. Air Force that we have dominance in air, space and cyberspace. Today, no one thinks about going to war without air power.

On behalf of all of us at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, I wish the United States Air Force a Happy 65th Birthday.

Aim High … Fly, Fight, Win!