363 TFW COMMANDER�S BRIEFING TO SHAW AFB

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to a 25 percent discount on food and beverages. Tours have quotas that are  
allocated to each organization and people sign up by organization. Most  
people can get to go at least every 4-5 weeks if they choose to do that. And,  
of course, there's lots of places to shop while you're on a tour--gold shops  
and rug shops being the most popular.  
Our embassy people here also have many of our people over for "home  
cooked dinners". Again, that 's done by sign-up rosters in each organization.  
Those obviously have been very popular.  
Then, in tent city every Thursday night (Friday is like Sunday here) we  
have a special "catered meal" and have gotten a "band" to play on an outdoor  
truck platform. It isn't Whalen and Willy and the boys, but they aren't bad.  
The catered meals have been anything from pizza, hamburgers and cheeseburgers,  
to the last few weeks where we�ve had grilled chicken and ribs with salads,  
potato salad, rolls and baked potatoes--really, pretty good stuff!  
On the operational side of things, we're in great shape! Our pilots are  
flying a lot of training missions, many with our allies over here and the  
Navy. I'm confident that we're ready to deal with any situation. Our host  
nation facilities to support our flying and maintenance operations are first  
class--by any standard. We've got large hardened Tab Vee shelters to protect  
most of our F-16s. These are brand new, and they're state-of-the-art shelters  
which have internal refueling capability, backup generator power and air  
conditioning office and living space for pilots and maintenance crews, if we  
need to use them. Those are absolutely the best facilities I've ever seen-  
anywhere.  
Well, I've probably rattled on about long enough. Hope I was able to  
give you a flavor of what it's like over here. Our people have been doing  
great things to keep us mission ready, provide good security, and keep  
improving our quality of life. They never cease to amaze me with their  
initiative and ingenuity. There's no doubt in my mind that we'll continue to  
set the example for everyone else in the theater.  
As for when we'll be home. I simply don't know. I'm sure that you've  
heard many rumors about plans for rotation, but trust me when I say that  
is no approved rotation plan at this time! I want to know when we can get  
home as badly as anyone and our senior leaders are working that very hard.  
When a plan is approved and I know it, we'll get the word out as soon as we  
can. In the meantime; please don't believe or pass on any rumors. Those  
rumors can only serve to raise false hopes, increase anxiety, and have people  
commit themselves or resources to plans which may not be possible.  
In the meantime, keep the cards,-letters, prayers, and �care" packages  
flowing. Those are the things that are our lifeblood for morale here. We  
mlss you all tremendously, we miss the United States tremendously, but right  
now, we've got a job to do and you can be darn proud that the 363rd is out in  
front leading the way.  May god bless you all. 
 
 
 
RAYMOND P. HUOT, Colonel, USAF 
Commander 
 
 
 
 
				UNCLASSIFIED