We are all at this point very aware of the recent tragedy in Haiti, and our hearts and prays go out to the victims of this terrible earthquake. I thought that this, however, is also a great opportunity to recognize the great efforts that our military and other armed forces make in disaster relief around the world, and the enormously vital role that pilots make in efforts such as these.

The response from all branches of the military are key to the success of any mission such as this, but for natural disasters, especially in remote and underdeveloped areas of the world such as Haiti, it is really the response of those in the air that makes the most immediate and important impact.

In the first few hours and days, it is the personnel, medical officers and much needed supplies that are brought in by air.

As we have seen in Haiti, the number of aircraft that are landing to provide aid and relief personnel has even exceeded the capacity of the airport. It is also the ability to drop necessary things such as food, water and medical supplies directly to areas where there are most needed that makes the job of military pilots and other Air Force personnel so critical to saving lives.

We saw our own military drop over 55 tonnes of needed supplies over Haiti in the first week, and even more has been brought in through landed efforts. It can take naval ships hours, even days to respond to disasters such as this, and without the response from the Air Force and other military pilots the already tragically high death toll could have been even worse.

While it may be the thrill of flying fighter jets that can go mach speeds that has brought most of you to this club, joining the Air Force, Marine Corp or Navy can also mean a lot more.

It is the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing a job that can make a huge difference to the world, and that you are part of a military that is dedicated to serving its country that can truly make you proud of the career path you have chosen to take!