About

Chief of Staff's Portraits In Courage

Led by Airmen and powered by innovation, our United States Air Force remains the greatest air force the world has ever known. Our advantage is not really a secret. It is our people – our Airmen. With this in mind, we are humbled to share with you this ninth volume of Portraits in Courage.

Each story in this book reminds us of what it truly means to serve. They remind us that our core values are more than slogans. They are hard choices that are made in the face of real danger. Our Airmen are faced with situations like this each and every day around the globe. And each of them has their own story. In fact, it would take many volumes to highlight them all.

So as you read this year’s Portraits in Courage, perhaps these Airmen will sound familiar to you. Perhaps they will remind you of a neighbor, a family member, a co-worker or friend that serves. Whether they fly airplanes, defuse improvised explosive devices, fix engines or provide support to our warfighters, all of our Airmen are truly remarkable. They believe in integrity, in service, in excellence and are ready and willing to go in harm’s way.

We believe in them - not just for who they are, but for what they represent. For us in uniform, these stories inspire further dedication to our creed, to our mission, and to each other. For those who depend on us, we believe these stories show that our Airmen are truly real-life heroes. They have earned our highest degree of trust. Our Nation’s security is in their hands and they stood the watch proudly.