Are You An Airman?
(March 4, 2010) |
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755th Operations Squadron commander
3/2/2010 - OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AFNS) -- Are you an
Airman? Honestly?
It seems like a pretty easy question. I wear the Air Force
uniform. I work on an Air Force base. I get paid twice a
month by the Air Force. I must be an Airman, right?
Well, maybe. However, I believe being an Airman is a bit
more than what you wear, where you work and who pays you.
The thought for this commentary came to me in one of the
most unusual places: the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,
Ariz., Status of Discipline meeting. One of the cases
presented to the wing commander involved a young Airman with
a litany of infractions ranging from being late to work to
more serious illegal activity.
I looked around the room as the Airman's commander expounded
on this young man's list of past and present disciplinary
issues, and I was struck by the expressions on the other
commanders' faces. It wasn't anger or indifference, it was
disappointment. The wing commander summed it up in a single
comment with what seemed to be a tinge of sadness, "This
Airman just doesn't get it."
What was it that this Airman didn't "get?" What does it mean
to be an Airman anyway? What makes us different from our
fellow Americans at Walmart or Wall Street?
The Airman's Creed is a good place to start and says a
great deal when you look at it:
I am an American Airman
I am a warrior
I have answered my nation's call
The statement that strikes me the most is, "I have answered
my nation's call." It's not talking about a recruiter
calling your house. It's alluding to your decision to serve
your nation.
I am an American Airman.
My mission is to fly, fight, and win
I am faithful to a proud heritage,
A tradition of honor
And a legacy of valor
As Airmen, we have a history. Our honorable service and
resolute accomplishment of our mission are tributes to the
men and women who served before us. Our failures dishonor
their sacrifices.
I am an American Airman.
Guardian of freedom and justice,
My nation's sword and shield,
Its sentry and avenger
I defend my country with my life
We have a noble role to play. It falls upon us to protect
our country and our way of life. However, what sets us apart
from a majority of our nation's citizens is the last
statement, "I defend my country with my life." You and your
sister service brethren are literally pledging your lives in
the service of our country; less than 10 percent of our
fellow citizens have ever made that pledge.
I am an American Airman
Wingman, leader, warrior
I will never leave an Airman behind,
I will never falter
And I will not fail
This is a pretty tall order. It alludes to our obligation to
one another and our mission. Every Airman is important, we
all are absolutely essential to the accomplishment of the
Air Force mission.
The 55th Electronic Combat Group commander put it very well
in one of our recent staff meetings, "Airmen don't let other
Airmen fail."
What this means is that as leaders, we have an obligation to
make sure our subordinates have the tools and training to
accomplish what is asked of them. As subordinates, we have
an obligation to accomplish our mission effectively and
efficiently, and not violate the trust our supervisors, and
our nation for that matter, have placed in us.
As Airmen, we have an obligation to each other. Our mission
is constant. If you falter, the burden falls on another
Airman. If you fail, you put your fellow Airmen, and,
potentially our nation, at risk. Each of us shoulders a
tremendous responsibility.
The dismay at the status of discipline meeting was real.
Each of us made a choice to answer our nation's call and
each of us has recited the Airman's Creed. The commanders in
that room expected Airmen to be Airmen. We depend on each
other to be Airmen. Most importantly, our nation needs us to
be Airmen.
Are you an Airman? |
By
USAF Lt. Col. Charles R. Owen
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Copyright 2010 |
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Reprinted from
Air Force News Service
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