Even before the impressive victory during the NATO air campaign in Kosovo, our airmen proved to be the most capable, professional and valuable aerospace force in the world. Daily, our men and women preserve the peace in Bosnia, fight drug traffickers to our south, keep watch over the Korean peninsula and Southwest Asia, and serve in dozens of lonely, austere assignments around the world. They have won the peace not only by their ability to command and dominate the aerospace medium that will define future battlefields but also by their humanitarian example. Lyles and I will do our best to ensure you have exciting missions and leading-edge equipment to work with. In return, we ask you to do your best to prepare yourselves for a full career in the Air Force.
Integrity is essential.
It's the inner voice, the source of self-control and the basis for the trust that is imperative in today's Air Force. In this world of relative ethics, fairness and honesty are still hallmarks of our military officer and enlisted personnel. A recent Harris poll showed that Americans trust the military more than any other professional institution, more even than the Supreme Court. That's the honor you inherit as you put on the uniform every day. Treat it as a challenge to uphold that honor in all that you do.