The mission works as well as you adhere to standards
Commentary by Chief Master Sgt. Mike Ivey
437th Airlift Wing command chief master sergeant
1/9/2009 - CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNS) -- The mission of the U.S. Air Force is to fly, fight and win ... in air, space and cyberspace. This statement encompasses everything we do for our country.
Our senior leaders precisely define our roles as Airmen using one short sentence that by itself doesn't seem all that complicated. Successfully accomplishing the Air Force mission requires countless numbers of intricately woven processes managed and performed by a dedicated team of Airmen who follow and enforce standards.
The old adage, "A place for everything and everything in its place," applies to how the Air Force enterprise as whole protects our country. Each person, each base, each piece of equipment and each process has to contribute to our mission. Everyone and everything performing properly are both vital if we hope to be successful.
Adhering to the principles of military discipline and enforcing standards serve as the foundation for accomplishing our mission efficiently and effectively. That means we all must follow the orders and directions provided by our leaders, we must comply with standards, and we must follow all applicable guidance and complete every step in our approved checklists, even when doing so does not seem to make sense. When we believe something should be changed, we must follow the proper procedures to get the change or deviation approved. When we take shortcuts or fail to correct those who are not complying with standards, we run the risk of mission failure and put the lives of both ourselves and others at risk.
Our failure to follow proper procedures played a role in our mishandling of the nation's nuclear weapons, which generated much negative publicity and possibly caused the American public to lose faith in our abilities and professionalism. However, we're working hard to restore our image and the nation's confidence in our abilities.
"Precision and reliability is our standard, regardless of job or specialty, and we will return the vigor and rigor to all the processes and missions for which we have been entrusted," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz.
Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, commander of the Air Mobility Command said, "The Air Force has had some setbacks this past year, and the way to move forward positively is to get back to basics."
The concept of getting back to basics doesn't just mean we need to focus all of our efforts on accomplishing the mission at the expense of forgetting about the little things that seem insignificant.
"You cannot be disciplined in great things and indiscipline in small things" and "It is absurd to believe that Soldiers who cannot be made to wear the proper uniform can be induced to move forward in battle. Officers who fail to perform their duty by correcting small violations and in enforcing proper conduct are incapable of leading" are words often attributed to Army Gen. George Patton. These two statements convey what I believe getting back to basics means: We must focus our efforts on adhering to and enforcing every standard, no matter how unimportant or insignificant that standard may seem.
Customs and courtesies are often overlooked when we stop focusing on the little things we are required to do. Yes, it's easier to remain seated and continue typing an e-mail when someone of higher rank approaches our work area. It's often inconvenient to stop our car when retreat plays, especially when we're in a hurry to get somewhere. Most of us don't look forward to correcting someone who violates these or other seemingly insignificant standards, but if we don't make it a point to enforce all of our standards, it's just a matter of time until we start becoming complacent, miss something really important that degrades mission accomplishment, and worst case, a fellow Airman gets injured or killed.
Our nation and military leaders at all levels count on us to do our part to fly, fight and win ... in air, space and cyberspace, and I know we're up to the challenge. However, we'll never achieve our full potential and avoid serious mistakes if we don't continue to focus on and enforce every standard that applies to us.
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