Editorial: Honoring those who served U.S.

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 1998 | 11:11 a.m.

TOMORROW families and friends will gather at Nellis Air Force Base to pay tribute to the 12 airmen who lost their lives training to save the lives of others. They were all special men skilled to perform heroic tasks that other people counted on to bring them home safely during times of war and disaster. The airmen of the 66th Rescue Squadron have a long record of successfully responding to the needs of others when called upon for help.

Southern Nevadans appreciate the high quality of men and women stationed at Nellis. They are a respected and valued part of our society and we know the importance of the roles they play in the defense of our country. When there are serious conflicts in other parts of the world, the sounds of airplanes taking off to train and to face the enemy have been heard over and over again by local residents. When they fail to return alive, all of us feel a loss.

The deaths of Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey R. Armour, Staff Sgt. Kevin M. Brunelle, Staff Sgt. Kenneth W. Eaglin, 2nd Lt. Michael Harwell, Capt. Gregg W. Lewis, Capt. Phillip Miller, Lt. Col. William H. Milton, Senior Airman Adam Stewart, Master Sgt. Matthew Sturtevant, Airman 1st Class Justin Wotasik and Capt. Karl Youngblood should make us stop and think about their importance in all of our lives as Nevadans and Americans. They have served us in an elite military unit and gave their lives while preparing for more hazardous duty.

Old Glory will fly at half-staff over Southern Nevada tomorrow to honor these warriors. As the military conducts memorial services we ask the members of Congress to also pay attention. American military people put their lives in danger every day as they respond to the needs of a great nation. The very least we can do to repay the dedication of these people is to provide them with the very best equipment and everything else needed to meet each and every challenge.

Our nation has a long history of heaping praise on our fighting forces during wars and neglecting them and their needs during times of peace. The Congress of today is no exception as weaponry is showing evidence of wear and tear. About 200 Navy planes are not ready for duty and are awaiting repairs. Closer to home, almost 25 percent of Air Force equipment isn't mission ready. The Pentagon believes we will be short 1,000 pilots in 1999. Even with these shortcomings our military people are spending more and more time overseas performing missions.

Despite this official neglect, the military men and women of our country continue to serve faithfully and give us the strongest and most effective armed military forces in the world. We should think about this as we honor the men of the 66th Rescue Squadron who were killed last week when sharpening their skills to serve our nation.