412th Test Wing Commander Speaks To Local Veterans Group

  • Published
  • By Danny Bazzell
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs

The commander of the 412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base, California, visited the weekly Coffee4VETS breakfast at a local diner in Lancaster, Aug 31.

Speaking to the group of over 50 veterans from different branches of service and encompassing conflicts from World War II to the war on terrorism, Brig. Gen. Matthew W. Higer thanked the veterans for their service to the country and encouraged all veterans to be proud of their service and commitment.

“Less than .7 percent of Americans currently wear the uniform and only 6.5 percent of all adults have ever worn the uniform,” Higer said. “Many of us have bled and many of us have lost. Those are very important topics that many who are not associated with that 6.5 percent can learn from you.”

Higer also thanked members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in attendance for their service as first responders saying “I’m on your team and I appreciate you having our back.”

Coffee4VETS organizers offered attendees a pocket sized copy of the U.S. Constitution and referencing the document, Higer stated “I was pleased to see you handing out this little book here today because. Our founders were not perfect; the document they created was not perfect and the nation they founded was not perfect. The pre-amble of the Constitution says, ‘We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union... So let’s continue to make it more perfect and continue to do our part in the new normal and shape the future.”

Coffee4VETS is a local non-profit organization whose purpose, according to their website is, “to bring together senior veterans of all military branches and genders on a weekly basis in a safe environment for coffee and a meal to address, educate, and provide aid while disseminating information from the Veterans Administration, state and local agencies of any benefit changes affecting their daily life.”

Coffee4VETS holds a similar breakfast in the city of Santa Clarita every other Thursday. More information on Coffee4VETS can be found on their web site at www.coffee4vets.org.