Commentary - Take a look in the mirror before complaining about 'today's Airmen'

News > Commentary - Take a look in the mirror before complaining about 'today's Airmen'

Take a look in the mirror before complaining about 'today's Airmen'

Posted 12/8/2011

Email story Print story

Commentary by Senior Master Sgt. Chip Coleman
902nd Contracting Squadron superintendant

12/8/2011 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- As I go about my business around Joint Base San Antonio--Randolph, whether attending meetings or speaking at the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Enhancement Seminars, I often hear NCOs and senior NCOs discussing some of their work issues. Undoubtedly part of the conversation revolves around the question, "What's wrong with these Airmen today?"

My answer is, "Us!" We NCOs and senior NCOs need to take a good look in the mirror!

No matter where I am on base, picking up uniforms at the cleaners, the base exchange or the commissary, I am constantly wondering what happened to us as NCOs. Why are so many Air Force and military standards not being followed or enforced? Where's the discipline and accountability?

I was in the exchange looking at the new DVDs and noticed a staff sergeant at the other end of the aisle looking at the video games. As I got closer, I noticed he had a pair of sunglasses on top of his head, his airman battle uniform shirt pocket and cargo pocket were unbuttoned, and his hat was sticking halfway out of his cargo pocket. As I continued to get closer to this individual, two NCOs walked right by him and did not say a word. I was dumbfounded; I thought for sure they would have corrected him. I approached the staff sergeant and told him exactly what he needed to fix and, by the expression on his face, he was shocked someone corrected him. The staff sergeant quickly corrected his uniform as I carefully explained the errors of his ways.

I see these types of violations everyday all over JB Randolph and, more often than not, I find myself correcting NCOs and senior NCOs, not the junior enlisted Airmen. I can understand correcting some of our newer Airmen, but not our NCOs and senior NCOs. What has happened to our core values? Integrity, doing what's right when no one is looking and excellence in all we do?

When I teach at the NCOPE Seminar and the First Term Airman Center, we talk about standards and discipline and I always ask the class who has seen uniform violations at the exchange and food court and inevitably everyone raises their hand. Then I ask how many of them corrected the violation, and most hands go down -- and this is in both forums. I always ask why they failed to do their job and make the corrections. I get many answers, such as, "I don't want to be the bad guy," or, "The person out-ranked me," etc. I then remind them of Air Force Instruction 36-2618, the Enlisted Force Structure, that states, "Airman should correct personnel who violate military standards."

As supervisors and leaders, it is our job to exemplify the highest standards in maintaining self-discipline and to correct those who fail to uphold the standards of discipline. We must get "back to the basics of discipline." As NCOs and senior NCOs we must set the example by exhibiting professional behavior, military bearing, customs and courtesies, and the highest standards of dress and appearance. In my opinion, we aren't setting the example and we aren't enforcing or maintaining standards.

Airmen are desperately seeking leadership. In an "exit poll" of Airmen leaving the Air Force after their first term, the number one reason for getting out is "lack of leadership." I see more and more senior NCOs waiting for retirement and NCOs who just don't seem to care about our airmen. The airmen pick up on this attitude and that attitude is then reflected in our Airmen.

The next time we NCOs and SNCOs start to question the quality of "today's Airmen," we need to take a long, hard look in the mirror. We should question the quality of our leadership, dedication and the sincerity we provide to our young Airmen and junior officers. We NCOs and senior NCOs are charged with the influential development of our Airmen, and by using the term Airmen, I mean every Air Force member. As a prior military training instructor of 10 years, I can honestly say there is nothing wrong with our Airmen; they simply need our attention and mentorship on a daily basis.

Our most precious resource is our Airmen. We, as leaders, must never forget it!

Comments

2/6/2012 11:32:59 PM ET
You have to take it easy, Senior, people are going to comment regardless of the point that you make, good or bad. Some get it and some don't. The fact that you felt the need to reply is one of the many issues I feel is wrong with the AF. I will not expound on that comment for mentoring purposes. I honestly believe that if we changed the rank structure and the awards and recognition program, the AF would change as a whole. Not the EPR system but the rank structure and awards and recognition program using my ideas of course. It starts with this quote: Collaboration is more effective than pitting people against each other. Some people deserve to correct others and some don't. Some people deserve to lead and some don't. We try to force leadership on everyone because that is the military way. NCOs need to step it up I disagree, sort of. The rank structure and awards system were built for a different generation of PEOPLE not Airmen. The fact is that people and technology ar

John Holmes, USA

12/20/2011 12:50:08 PM ET
I appreciate all of your comments, but most of you really missed the point that I was trying to make. The uniform was merely an example. My point is for NCO/SNCOs to step up, set the example, mentor and lead our young Airmen instead of blaming the new generation of Airmen for everything that is wrong in the Air Force

Chip Coleman, Randolph AFB

12/16/2011 5:28:48 AM ET
at snco retired in ohio... just because civilians wear suites does not mean that we in the military need to wear suites. blues are for special occasions. lets just deploy in our blues then as we also have either office jobs over here also. we are in the military not coorporate america or working in a bank for that matter.

deployed nco, swa

12/15/2011 1:59:54 PM ET
I am an aircraft maintainer one of the many jobs that take a toll on the uniform. My supervisor suggested keeping a spare pair of boots in case I get called to a function or meeting. He even came by my dorm room and after I moved stopped by my house just to make sure everything was going smoothly. He supported volunteer organizations and encouraged me to help out. On Fridays he met with all his Airmen and gave us a safety brief asked about our plans and made sure we had his number. I thought he was a jerk and when I mouthed off to him I got counseled and paperwork. But when he sat down with me and discussed my future, the Air Force and AFI 36-2618, I started to understand the difference between rank and pay grade. There is some difficult stuff in there. Why dont some NCOs fulfill the roles as listed? Only that person knows. I have heard things such as no one really cares, its outdated and too hard. I had an NCO show me different and I decided to be like him. I thin

TSgt, Fighter Base

12/15/2011 1:01:59 PM ET
Mike, But there are only two on my flight suit. I haven't worn blues in a year, but I have still won quarterly and base awards. I even scored a 97 on my last PT test. I would like to see some real proof about how wearing blues on any sort of recurring basis will improve operations. Don't get me wrong, whatever uniform we are tasked to wear should be worn properly, but dressing up for the sake of dressing up is just nonsense to me.

SrA White, CONUS

12/15/2011 9:21:00 AM ET
Great article, SMSgt Coleman. I think most of you -notice I said most- are missing the point. If you are going to complain that something is wrong with your troops, before you try and say that it's their fault, maybe try and correct the problem. Whatever it may be uniform, job, etc. We have to lead by example and if we are a bad example then what do you think they are going to follow? Step up! And regardless of rank, if you are an AB and you see someone doing something wrong -i.e. out of regs- correct them, but do it with respect. And if they blow you off, at least you know you did the right thing.

SSgt JD, numerous bases

12/14/2011 5:11:19 PM ET
SrA White: That arguement can be made either way. I see people in an office environment wearing a utility uniform as the ones that are playing dress-up. Also, full Service Dress and Mess Dress not just blues are for special occasions.You'll get your way though, so no need to worry. Just count the pen pockets on your ABUS. Hint, there's seven.

Mike, WA

12/14/2011 5:10:14 PM ET
I have been listening to the same mantra since Vietnam, it got even worse in the 70's. When I go to a base today, It seems to me that the USAF troops in uniform are not only more properly attired, they look down-right uptight to the point where I have thought to myself wonder if these dudes ever smile. Ain't nothing wrong with your troops, SMSGT.

Dennis Westgor, wisconsin

12/14/2011 4:43:43 PM ET
Many are right are on here, uniforms and PT are not the mission, but to misquote someone smarter than me, if I can't trust my Airmen with the little things, how can I ever trust them with the big things.

J., Afghanistan

12/14/2011 12:59:40 PM ET
@Mike: Has productivity in the overall AF decreased since we went to a one blues day work week? What is the purpose of wearing blues four to five days a week anyways? The only purpose I can see being served is by pleasing the image-conscious desires of support staff/office workers in the upper echelons. Blues should just be for special occasions, not an everyday uniform-even on Mondays-unless there is some scientific proof that the AF can benefit from returning to the four-day blues week of yore. Maybe it's just my generation talking, but it's very apparent that business can be conducted and the mission accomplished without this fixation on playing dress-up.

SrA White, CONUS

12/14/2011 6:30:11 AM ET
SrA Snuff: Way to completely skew what he said. If you think anyone in an office needs to wear ABUs or a flight suit for that matter, you're mistaken. Before the first gulf war, we had utility Fridays because people wore the correct uniforms to work on a daily basis. Now we have blues Mondays because people don't know anymore what uniform is appropriate for their daily activities.

Mike, WA

12/14/2011 6:09:09 AM ET
SrA Snuff: Really If you are going to be petty, be correct. That duffle bag you wear is a BDU, Battle Dress Uniform. Just because the official designation is different does not change that. An M9 is still a Pistol, no matter what designation the AF gives it.Everyone else: Notice how the people who are all adamant against correcting standards are all Flight line guys? That each and every one of them ignore the fact that the issue is correcting standards and focus on the fact that they don't want to wear their uniforms correctly? If you object to fixing standards, become a civilian and make the Military better.

J Old Red Hat, Deployed

12/14/2011 4:54:48 AM ET
SMSgt Coleman, you are wrong. The USAF now focuses on the minutia instead of worrying about if the mission is getting accomplished. I was a SAC trained killer when I first came in and have spent 30 years in aircraft maintenance until recently retiring from AD. I now work as a DoD contractor, currently deployed to the AOR. PT is not the mission. AFI 36-2903 is not the mission. Being able to do your JOB and accomplishing the MISSION should be the priority, but it is not. At my deployed location, I see plenty of pretty-boy SNCO's running around in their PT uniforms all day, but I don't see any Airmen cleaning up the pig-sty of a base that we are on. Especially considering this base has been here for over 10 years. Misplaced priorities for sure.

CMSgt Retired, SWA

12/13/2011 9:57:54 PM ET
I look at myself in the mirror daily while shaving. I know a fair amount of the regs and enforce those that I am aware of. I've informed higher ranking individuals of their violations and do my best to uphold standards. Chief Caruso is correct in his assertion. I've had to correct individuals that I've known for many years on minor issues. They know me well enough and fixed their infraction when it was pointed out. Communication and non-favortism is key. Uniform issues rank low on my scope but when we're out at the smoke pit and your uniform is jacked, I'm not worried about your safety, just your compliance with lawful orders. If my hands are cold, I've go GI gloves in my pockets. If you're not provided the proper gear to be within regs, fix it. If you're not taking care of your troops, fix it. We ***** about leadership coming down on us, but what are we doing from the middle to mitigate this? We are all human and have our failings but we are more than abl

Orpheus13, Planet Cannon

12/13/2011 8:39:12 PM ET
I am just a weekend warrior; however, I have significant time on active duty being prior regular Air Force and serving post 9-11. I get both sides of this issue. I do believe the intent of this article was to point out an erosion of our dress and appearance standards and how NCOs need to address it. When I was on active duty in 03 for Iraqi Freedom, I got off one morning from working all night and was at the Chow Hall getting breakfast. I looked like I had slept in my uniform and needed a shave. In front of me was this Chief Master Sgt that was all spit and polish, literally. His boots were immaculate, his uniform was crisp and pressed, and he held himself with a sense of professionalism that made me feel ashamed with my appearance. Good NCOs set the example. And Good NCOs should correct violations. It is entirely one thing if you are down range. Its entirely another if you are taking in your lunch hour at the BX or wherever. Take a little pride in yourself. You just might make an impr

TSgt Bruce, Virginia

12/13/2011 7:24:43 PM ET
Can't wait for the day when us NCO's actually have people above us who are worth anything. Maybe you're the one who needs a shift in thinking. You look at this problem as a 'it starts with the small stuff' whereas it's really a big picture issue. Can anyone SNCOO publicly admit that maybe the USAF is heading in such a volatile direction where misguided leadership and empty gestures do more to discourage the force as a whole than any correction does? Maybe you all need to listen to yourselves when talking about the mission and the people and actually believe the words you are saying. We're swimming in disingenuous people from top to bottom. It's polluting us. But that's alright. Quite a few of you believe that enforcing the wrong stuff will get this ship back on course. Frankly that's scary. Good luck with that though.

SSgt FE, OCONUS

12/13/2011 2:33:31 PM ET
A SNCO not in their office or a meeting that discusses nothing and accomplishes less Is this like a tree falling in the woods.

D, CONUS

12/13/2011 2:33:25 PM ET
Retired SNCO Ohio: We don't wear BDUs in the Air Force anymore. However, that being said, thanks for your two comments about how unprofessional it is to be seen in public in anything less than full service dress. As a junior enlisted Airman, I really take that kind of senior advice to heart. It's nice to know that the mission isn't as important as me not wearing my ABUs off base or in public. I had no idea.

SrA Snuff, SWA

12/13/2011 2:31:11 PM ET
Discipline is reserved for activities that remove them from the workcenter to prove how well rounded they are while unable to complete their MISSION. Standards have been subjected to DOS rollback. Those left behind must have overconfidence and excessive motivation to survive.

D, MDL

12/13/2011 2:17:17 PM ET
I do not think SMSgt Coleman is attempting to relate Dress and Appearance directly to leadership ability. I see it this way: During BMT and Tech School young Airmen are taught that their appearance in uniform is important. They are taught how to wear it correctly and are corrected when wearing it improperly. They believe that this is an important aspect of military life and that all persons across the AF are both familiar with and follow the rules and regulations regarding wear of the uniform.When they see people who are in leadership positions disregarding the rules, which they have been taught are important, they begin to wonder why is he not wearing the uniform correctly. The answer is either that the person in question is a dirt-bag and should not be trusted as a leader or that the rules don't really matter. Usually I think people tend to accept some aspects of both of these answers. I know I for one tend to be less inclined to accept the legitimacy andor autho

Just-A SrA, Lackland

12/13/2011 1:04:44 PM ET
Current MTI, job performance simply does not matter nowadays especially since almost everyone is a 5. There are only two things that impress our shallow leadership: PT score and how you look in uniform. It's sad how far we've fallen in the last decade.

Greg Arious, SWA

12/13/2011 12:41:51 PM ET
People lets keep the comments away from the deployment war zones. There are different rules while stationed in those areas and it all starts with surviveability and watching each other back. No one should ever worry about uniforms in a deployed area or combat area, it is all about the immediate team effort while in that situation to get the mission completed with hopefully everyone coming home. There is a hugh difference between being stationed in the USA and being stationed overseas and anyone who has served any length of time has experienced what I call the tighter family team member bonding that is really evident in overseas locations long or short tours. There are many great people serving in the USA but there is just a difference overseas that made me serve 17 of my 22 years overseas and would do it again given the choice. Have a Great week wherever your stationed. There is no instant replays of life so do the best you can and be all you can be.

SNCO Ret Ohio, Ohio USA

12/13/2011 12:08:50 PM ET
Look in the mirror?Why not look at the people who told me that I was not allowed to use the same disciplinary tools that were used when I was a young Airman? When I did something wrong, I paid for it by being assigned the scut-work details in additiona to my required daily duties. I paid for it by spending my time-off in the shop doing addiational training that may or may not have been directly related to hos I messed up but was actually relevant to my assigned duties.The young Airmen I was working with right before I retired were adamant that the USAF is just a job and when they made the choice to do something wrong my chain of command demanded that I as not allowed to take any steps to address the problem other than talk to them about it. If there is no cost for the behavior, then there is no motivation to change the behavior.LET NCOs/SNCOs ACTUALLY DISCIPLINE and a lot of the modern problems will correct themselves.

Retired SNCO, Commissary aisles

12/13/2011 11:28:29 AM ET
Great, another former MTI thinking that Dress and Appearance and Customs and Courtesies are the end all be all of Air Force leadership...I like how there's no mention of job performance being indicative of leadership abilities.

Current MTI, Lackland

12/12/2011 8:38:28 PM ET
Some very valid points made here. Enforcing standards, leadership accountability are all very valid discussion points. However, I think the message is lost because thats all we hear from the chain of command. Instead of having briefings, command calls and CBTs on the subject, why dont we just go back to good ol fashion lead by example and DO. The point of this article is to constantly and consistently reflect upon oneself utilizing the inherent military principle of attention to detail. I could go into an endless counseling session on the matter, but I strongly believe that is what ails our service. Lets get back to paying attention.

Steve, GA

12/12/2011 8:17:16 PM ET
@ Maj TX: operational experience has zero to do with enforcing standards. The point again is that relating the correction of uniform infractions with good leadership as originally suggested is ridiculous. Regarding the nuke comment, please explain to everyone how the mistakes made were in any way low order. Low order mistakes don't result in a MAJCOM stand-up, O-6 firings, etc. Being in the nuke biz allows me to say that with great certainty.

Maj, MO

12/12/2011 4:36:18 PM ET
I guess all the door-kickers in Afghanistan who maintain abysmal uniforms and trashy personal appearance are very unprofessional and just waiting to scale up their infractions on uniform and appearance to things like war crimes.

GA, Utah

12/12/2011 1:26:53 PM ET
Search for General Welsh's speech to the USAFA on Youtube. Not only an outstanding speech, but a big message about paying attention to the little details.

Airman, Pentagon

12/12/2011 7:57:55 AM ET
It amazes me at how many Colonels, Majors and Captains we have in our building everyday for meetings that can't take the extra minute to put on their Blue uniform. I guess they think they may need to be able to hide outside in the bushes, so they come prepared. We are required to wear a suit when we meet with the AF folks whether we go to the base or they come to our office. We have casual Fridays that allow us to wear jeans, unless of course we are meeting with the client. Standards and simple good business practices start at the top and the top that represent WPAFB fail everyday they come over to our office.

Retired SNCO, Ohio

12/12/2011 7:56:01 AM ET
I completely agree to all said. We must remember that we need to lead by example on this matter. Being an NCO give us the opportunity to influence not only our young Airmen but also our leaders and officers above us. We are, like it or not, one of the most visible echelons in our organization. The fact that many NCOs are representing us in many meetings is only a small example of the degree of visibility. As a minimum, I am always aiming to meet the requirements. However, I always try to go one step further in order to show Airmen. Like I said before, lead by example. In the end, we still need to follow with discipline the rules and regulations. If any of that does not work for anyone, then we need to move out of the way to give space for a better leader to set the example for others to follow.

TSGT Nazario-Romero, 175th Baltimore MD

12/12/2011 4:32:04 AM ET
Disregarding uniform standards is just the beginning of a larger problem. If an Airman feels they can blow off uniform regs, what's next? Can they now ignore TOs or consider ethics and finance rules just suggestions? You don't cherry-pick the rules you follow in the military, you follow all of them or you face the consequences. The answer to a given order is Yes sir/ma'am, not I'll think about it. To quote Patton, if you can't get them to salute when they should salute and wear the clothes you tell them to wear, how are you going to get them to die for their country? If you want to make it up as you go along and wear a unique outfit every day, I suggest you try a different career path.

km, OCONUS

12/12/2011 12:46:02 AM ET
I wore white socks with 1,000 combat hours of flying, earning seven Air Medals. Not once by me violating AFI 36-2903 did the small problems turn into bigger ones. The mission was accomplished successfully every single time.I think people who hide out in special duties get promoted and no dictate policy to Airman successfully completing the mission daily is one of the biggest fallacies in the Air Force.

TSgt, South

12/10/2011 6:54:59 PM ET
Maj MO...what does operational experience have to do with enforcing standards? Bottom line, if you walk past a low-order deficiency and do nothing to correct it, you've just endorsed it...and those low-order deficiencies have a way of adding up--just ask anyone working in the nuclear enterprise.

Maj, TX

12/10/2011 11:47:04 AM ET
Great article....Here is the way we sum this up at Cannon. FIt applies to all of our Airmen, if you walk by a problem, unsafe condition or a any infraction and do not say or do anything to correct it, you are wrong. Every Airmen should feel empowered and have the courage to fix an issue.

CMSgt Matt Caruso, Cannon AFB CCM

12/9/2011 10:44:44 PM ET
Great- two SNCOs from a training base linking uniform wear to leadership. Abysmal. If you can't understand the difference between a uniform infraction and tech order compliance then YOU are the problem. As said earlier, it's called PERSPECTIVE. Respectfully correct problems you encounter with uniform wear, but understand that leadership is about accomplishing the MISSION. You wouldn't understand that if all you read is 36-2903 whilst in the rear echelons.

DD, The reall USAF

12/9/2011 5:27:04 PM ET
I Agree with SMSgt Coleman. now being new to the air force myself, of course i have a lot of questions on how things work and what not. What i notice is I, as an airman, need help with something, I would try to contact leadership, but it seems like they are never there to help. Email them and 9 times out of 10 i would never get a response back. now i have been around the Air force my entire life and I don't ever remember it as bad at it seems now. What happed to all the good leadership?

A1C willet , FAFB

12/9/2011 12:17:29 PM ET
I have seen many SNCOs attend contractor meeting at the contractor sites and it leaves me wondering why they do not show up in their dress blue uniforms to dazel all who meet them. They are the representative of the military who we very much respect, but it seems they do not care to show up wearing their best uniform even though we show up wearing our ties and suit coats. BDUs may be authorized, but is it really approriate in a non combat site meeting? In my day, I would not have even stopped for milk on the way home off base in my BDUs. I hold you like all military in high honor and the BDU uniform worn off base does not increase or decrease my respect for you all.

SNCO Retired, Ohio

12/9/2011 10:18:54 AM ET
I agree wholeheartedly with SMSgt Coleman. Of course we will always have those that say that concentrating on small uniform violations is not leadership and that we should only concentrate on the big stuff. The problem with that statement is that we have to start somewhere. We have to pay attention to the little things AND the big things. The little things may seem small at the time, but often are indicative of a bigger problem. I was once told that you can tell the quality of leadership at a base by how the people look in their uniforms. If they are following the rules for their uniforms you can bet they are following them for hanging bombs and guarding resources.

SMSgt S, Randolph AFB

12/9/2011 7:56:51 AM ET
I almost completely with SMSgt Coleman. SNCOs with limited-to-no operational experience and who equate uniform violations to accountability and leadership are one of our AF's many problems. Back to basics requires perspective on what matters. This is where our AF senior leader are failing us all.

Maj, MO

12/8/2011 4:30:55 PM ET
Agree. I remember long ago at Bitburg AB, Germany. I was a young SSgt and was walking past the NCO Club one afternoon with my left hand in my pocket. A CMSgt walked towards me and greeted me with his LEFT hand out to shake the hand in my pocket I immediate pulled out my left hand and shook his smiled and thanked him for his great way to point out my infraction. I never forgot that. A great Chief he was. Yes, ALL NCOs need to monitor themselves and set the standard

MSgt Bill Karmik, Chicago IL

Add a comment

Inside AF.mil

GeneralImagesVideo

View All RSS

Subscribe AF.MIL

More Headlines

Partnerships develop Air Force youth

Air Force leaders offer perspectives at four-star forum

Dempsey: Insider attacks won't affect NATO's Afghan strategy  1

'Teammates wanted' to deliver future

Personnel chief: Road ahead for Airmen tough, but bright

U.S. citizens overseas urged to vote

36th Wing provides consistent evac support in Asia-Pacific

Air Force officials describe ICBM way-ahead

Air Force officials outline cyber capabilities in today's fight

AF is transforming how it provides services  1

Secretary of Defense visits Yokota

Air Force recognizes 2012 Outstanding Airmen of the Year  6  |  VIDEO

CSAF talks Air Force innovation, evolution at AFA Conference  2  |  VIDEO

AF Reserve commander praises total force

Commentary

Sept. 17: A day for Constitutional conversation 1

Losing Your Future to Sexual Assault 24