I’ll never forget the first time I traveled with the Thunderbirds team. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron was about, but it took less than a day to realize that even my highest expectations fell well short of reality.

Like me, you’ve probably seen the beautiful red, white, and blue jets flying in precise formation. You may have shaken hands with a few talented, motivated Thunderbirds Airmen and heard about the pride and dedication that fuels their duty. But let me assure you that this organization is much more than all that. This team is an inspired, unstoppable group of professionals. And on top of that, they make it look easy.

The Thunderbirds are perfectly suited for their mission, which is to faithfully represent their fellow Airmen. We don’t set the standard; we simply do our best to uphold the standard set by our brothers and sisters in arms.

It is those Airmen who are serving all over the world, away from friends and family, in some of the roughest environments you can imagine. It is their efforts that go largely unseen. It is their story that deserves to be told, and the Thunderbirds are proud to do it.

When we tell that story, we have to tell the truth: Air Force Airmen are amazing. As “Ambassadors In Blue,” we must do our best and be our best in order to do those Airmen justice.

In all, it takes about 700,000 Airmen to keep America’s Air Force the best air, space, and cyberspace force in history. It’s a huge, diverse team of active-duty servicemembers, Air Force Reservists, Air National Guardsmen, and civilians – people from all across our country and from nations around the world. Each of these Airmen is thoroughly trained in one of 100-plus job specialties, all of which are essential to keeping our service on the cutting edge of excellence.

Much like my initial experience with the Thunderbirds, I think your appreciation for the U.S. Air Force will continue to grow as you learn more about it.

So, enjoy our brand new Thunderbirds website. Get familiar with our team, browse through our photo gallery, and check out our schedule. I’d also encourage you to interact with us on our social media platforms:

www.facebook.com/afthunderbirds
www.twitter.com/afthunderbirds
www.youtube.com/usafthunderbirdvideo

We are all looking forward to the 2012 show season, and we hope to see you in the crowd!

–Thunderbird 1

Lt. Col. Greg Moseley, Thunderbirds Commander/Leader