Thank the 80 Published Nov. 29, 2021 By CMSgt. Timothy Wieser Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- There is a quote I used to admire from Heraclitus. It goes, “Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, 80 are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.” After the past four or five years, I have come to disagree with the “80 are just targets” sentiment. You see, in today’s reality the 80 who take care of business day in and out often do not receive credit for their hard work from the top ten. They come to work, job it every day of the week (and yes this includes weekends). They take care of their fellow Airmen, the force and divest themselves of any action seeking praise from others. Why? Because they do it for our great nation and for this, they deserve our thanks. The 80 are quiet professionals who execute the mission and make sure our great country remains safe. The 80 generate our aircraft to crush our adversaries when called upon. The 80 keep the water, power, and emergency services good to go, 24/7. The 80 defend the most powerful weapons systems in our nation’s arsenal. The 80 keep our most important weapon system (the Human) and our families healthy. The 80 serve as our nation’s operators, dropping bombs and raging hate on the bad guys. The 80 may not always come across as flashy or charismatic; however, they lead with Candor, Character and Compassion--never asking for or seeking glory except for that which reflects on their nation. Over the past two weeks, our Warbirds executed Global Thunder. It was the 80 who ensured combat capability, as they do every day, and scared the living hell out of our foes. It was the 80 who calmly rose to the occasion of making the mission happen. Thank you all for what you do and not caring who gets the credit. You truly are American heroes.