BUT FIRST, WE WANT TO SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE TO SEE HER IN ACTION.
NBC’S KATHY PARK HAS MORE.
>> IN A ROOM, THE HIGHEST
RANKING OFFICER CALLS THE SHOTS.
>> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GENERAL
MILLER.
MILLER. >> TAKE YOUR SEATS, PLEASE.
>> AND THIS MEETING CAN’T START
UNTIL ONE WOMAN ARRIVES AT THE
HEAD OF THE TABLE.
>> THIS IS JUST AN AMAZING
EFFORT THAT’S GETTING AFTER THE
NATIONAL DEFENSE STRATEGY, OUR
COMPETE, WIN.
COMPETE, WIN. >> GENERAL MARY ANNE MILLER WILL
TELL YOU THE MEN AND WOMEN OF
THE AIR FORCE SHARE A COMMON
THREAD.
THREAD. >> IT’S NEVER ABOUT US.
IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT THEM.
AND WHEN WE CAN TAKE EVERY STEP
THAT WE MAKE IN LIFE FEELING
THAT IN OUR HEARTS, THEN WE’VE
GOT IT RIGHT.
HUMILITY IS A PART OF THAT.
I TELL MY YOUNG AIRMEN, WE’RE
ALL THE SAME.
>> HER CAREER SPANS NEARLY FOUR
DECADES, JOINING THE AIR FORCE
IN 1981, SHE SOARED AS A PILOT,
BECAME THE FIRST FEMALE CHIEF OF
AIR FORCE RESERVE AND IS NOW THE
ONLY FEMALE FOUR STAR GENERAL
SERVING IN THE MILITARY.
>> AND HOLDING THAT TITLE, WHAT
DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
>> I VIEW IT FROM THE EYES OF A
YOUNG GIRL.
YOUNG GIRL. LOOKING UP AT ME.
I WANT THEM TO SEE SOMEONE WHO’S
CONVICTED TO GET IT RIGHT.
WHO REALLY UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE A GREAT AIRMAN AND
TO BE A GREAT LEADER.
>> AS GENERAL MILLER ROSE UP THE
RANKS, THE RESPONSIBILITIES
FOLLOWED.
FOLLOWED. >> WE HAVE AIRPLANES TAKING OFF
EVERY THREE MINUTES, EVERY DAY
OF EVERY YEAR.
>> AS HEAD OF AIR MOBILITY
COMMAND, THE GENERAL MANAGES AIR
FORCE ONE AND OTHER PLANES THAT
CARRY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
SHE ALSO SUPPORTS MISSIONS
DURING WAR AND NATURAL DISASTER
AND OVERSEES A $15 BILLION
BUDGET.
BUDGET. AND WHEN CRISIS STRIKES, SHE
TURNS TO GOD FOR GUIDANCE AND
RENEWAL.
RENEWAL. >> YOU KNOW, MY WHOLE LIFE IS
GIVING AND GIVING AND SERVING
THOSE AROUND ME, SERVING THE
MISSION AND THE AIRMEN AND SO I
FILL BACK UP WITH AIR AND
CONTEMPLATION AND IT’S
WONDERFUL.
WONDERFUL. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY
MEET YOU, THEY ARE LIKE, WOW,
YOU ARE REALLY DOWN TO EARTH.
WHERE DO YOU THINK THAT COMES
FROM?
FROM? >> I THINK CONNECTING WITH
PEOPLE, AND I TELL OUR YOUNG
AIRMEN, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY
NEED TO BE GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO,
AND YOU REALLY NEED TO BE A GOOD
PERSON.
PERSON. I SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR
HEART.
HEART. YOU CAN BE A TECHNICAL EXPERT
ALL DAY, BUT WHEN THAT GOES
AWAY, WHO ARE YOU, IT’S WHAT YOU
HAVE INSIDE.
HAVE INSIDE. >> AND INSIDE GENERAL MILLER IS
AN EVER LASTING CALL FOR DUTY,
SHE HEARD IT AGAIN 18-YEAR-OLD,
WHEN ON THE VERGE OF RETIREMENT.
>> TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th,
CHANGED THE WORLD FOR ME, AND BY
THAT FRIDAY, I HAD CALLED THE
AIR FORCE RESERVE, AND SAID,
PULL MY RETIREMENT PAPERWORK ON
WEDNESDAY.
WEDNESDAY. >> UNWAVERING IN HER PLEDGE, ON
BASE, SHE STOPS EACH DAY NO
MATTER WHAT SHE’S DOING TO HONOR
THOSE WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR OUR
FREEDOM, AND SHE KEEPS A
SELF-WRITTEN REMINDER WITH HER
ALWAYS.
ALWAYS. >> THIS IS A HAT I WEAR AND THEN
I KEEP THE PRAYER AS I GO MY
ROUNDS FROM ONE DISTRACTION TO
ANOTHER, WHISPER FROM TIME TO
TIME A WORD OF PRAYER TO YOU,
KEEP OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND
CIVILIAN NEBS
CIVILIAN NEBS CIVILIAN MEMBERS AND FAMILIES
STRONG IN OUR PURPOSE AND SAFE
IN YOUR ARMS.
>> A FOUR STAR GENERAL BREAKING
BARRIERS WHILE NAVIGATING A
COURSE OF SERVICE FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION OF AIRMEN.
FOR "TODAY," KATHY PARK, NBC
NEWS, SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE,
ILLINOIS.
ILLINOIS. >> GENERAL MARY ANNE MILLER IS
WITH US NOW, WE ARE SO HONORED
BY YOUR PRESENCE AND GRATEFUL
FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND YOU KEEP
REMINDING ME ALL MORNING, YOU
SAY IT’S NOT ABOUT ME, IT’S
ABOUT THEM.
ABOUT THEM. >> IT IS ABOUT THEM.
IT’S ABOUT THEM.
THEY’RE OUR FUTURE.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK OUT AT THESE
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, IT WAS 40
YEARS AGO, YOU WERE STANDING
WHERE THEY’RE STANDING.
WHAT EMOTIONS DO YOU HAVE
LOOKING OUT THERE?
>> YOU KNOW, THEIR WHOLE LIFE IS
IN FRONT OF THEM, AND GOOD
CHOICES WILL GET THEM ON THE
RIGHT PATH AND KEEP THEM ON THE
RIGHT PATH AND SURROUNDING
THEMSELVES WITH GREAT PEOPLE,
GREAT FRIENDS AND STAY COMMITTED
TO YOUR PATH AND YOUR JOURNEY.
AND REMEMBER HUMILITY, THAT’S
THE STRENGTH THAT YOU HAVE
WITHIN YOU.
WITHIN YOU. >> SPEAKING OF GREAT PEOPLE,
THEY HAVE GREAT PEOPLE HERE,
THEIR FAMILIES ARE JOINING US,
RIGHT, THEY’RE RIGHT THERE ON
THE SIDE, SO WE WANT TO GIVE THE
PARENTS A SHOUT OUT TOO.
>> THEY’RE ABOUT TO START THEIR
LIFE IN SERVICE.
YOU HAVE HAD SUCH AN INCREDIBLE
LIFE OF SERVICE, WHAT DO YOU
THINK IS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU
HAVE DRAWN AFTER ALL OF THESE
YEARS?
YEARS? >> YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO THE
MISSION EVERY DAY, HAVE THE BEST
EQUIPMENT IN THE WORLD, TRAINED
AND EQUIPPED TO DO OUR JOB EVERY
SINGLE DAY, BUT AT THE END OF
IT, IT COMES DOWN TO THE HUMAN
IN THE LOOPS AND THE HUMAN HAS
GOT TO BE, THESE AIRMEN HAVE GOT
TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN POSSIBLY
BE AND WE’RE GOING TO TRAIN THEM
TO DO THEIR MISSION AND WHEN
THAT GOES AWAY, AS I SAID
BEFORE, AT THE END OF THE DAY,
IT’S WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART,
WHAT’S INSIDE, THAT’S WHAT