LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
After a year of changes, the 1st Fighter Wing commander will honor its best and brightest Airmen at the annual Awards ceremony Jan. 29 at the Bayside Enlisted Club.
Col. Matt Molloy, 1st FW commander, said he sees the ceremony as a "new chapter" in Langley's colorful history, maintaining the 1st FW's legacy while providing a precedent for the 633 ABW to build upon.
"I look forward to seeing the same spirit of cooperation and excellence carried forward into the dual-wing concept," he said. "It will be a challenge for us to relish in what we've built with the 1st FW as well as a departure point for Team Langley to continue doing what we've done so well in the past."
The commander likened the successes of modern Airmen to that of Langley's airpower pioneers, including legendary generals Curtis LeMay and Carl "Tooey" Spaatz.
"The nominees set the bar high," the colonel said. "They conquer the seemingly impossible challenges that life and mission throw at us every day, and provide an encouraging and inspiring example for the rest of us."
Recounting a story about World War I Ace Eddie Rickenbacker's determination to push his 94th Fighter Squadron past the 27th Fighter Squadron in kills, Colonel Molloy said the awards ceremony breeds a healthy spirit of competitiveness, seen throughout the wing's past.
"This ceremony will be nostalgic," he said. "It will be a testament to how we good we have it going, rocking in the mighty 1st FW."