Col. Joos visits San Angelo Rotary Club Published July 23, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Joshua Edwards 17th Training Wing Public Affairs SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Col. Kimberlee Joos, 17th Training Wing Commander, spoke during the San Angelo Rotary Club meeting at Zentner's Daughter Steak House, July 19. The San Angelo Rotary Club is part of a larger organization, the Rotary International, whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world. The rotary club invited Col. Joos to introduce herself to the members and give an update on what has been happening at Goodfellow. During her speech, Col. Joos likened the Air Force core value of service before self to the Airmen who've come through Goodfellow and what they've accomplished. "As I prepared for this speech I did some research on the Rotary Club, and found it interesting that your motto is service above self," said Col. Joos. "It's actually very similar to one of the three core values of the United States Air Force, service before self. Throughout my 21 years of service, it is this vision that really inspires me and gets me fired up." One of the Airmen she talked about was Senior Airman Andres Morales, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing multi-source analyst at Beale Air Force Base. "A Senior Airman was working a mission and was finishing up a 12-hour shift," said Col. Joos. "When he was called on a chat network by an Army staff sergeant who was in Afghanistan. Based on the request of the Army staff sergeant, this Senior Airman worked an additional seven hours, giving the squad on the ground route reconnaissance, imagery information and a really good picture of an enemy site they needed. Based on this information, a potential improvised explosive device was discovered. Lives were potentially saved by an Airman who went above and beyond, 12,000 miles away from the fight, and 19 hours into his workday." Before Col. Joos finished her speech, she talked about how proud she is of the American society and the military. "This caliber of work is not possible without considering the source of these young men and women, the American society." said Col. Joos. Airmen are inspired to excel because they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. I think that's a sentiment of something we all share in this room today." The rotary club and the Air Force will continue on the path of focusing on more than the individual and looking at the bigger picture.
