Sam Gibbons: “the Air Force has a motto of ``service before self.'' That is a fitting description of the 204 members of the 820th Red…”

“the Air Force has a motto of ``service before self.'' That is a fitting description of the 204 members of the 820th Red Horse Combat Engineer squadron from Nellis Air Force Base, who will be departing for Albania very soon. Their mission will be to repair critical roads and bridges to help prepare the way for a safe and expeditious return of the Kosovar refugees who were displaced from their homes in this unfortunate conflict. Having seen the environment that they will be working in firsthand, I can tell my colleagues that their work will be challenged. However, I am very confident that their skills, training, and motivation will be equal to the task. As the struggle for a peaceful solution to the Kosovo conflict is played out on the TV and in our newspapers, it is the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who continue to work hard in the background, focused on accomplishment of their mission. I want to say thanks to all our troops deployed in support of Operation Allied Force and to the men and women of the 820th Red Horse Squadron, their families and loved ones. Good luck in your deployment. Godspeed. A quick return. But most importantly, thank you for your service and sacrifice for this nation.”