Commentary -- What Are You Going To Do?

  • Published
  • By Col. David P. Garfield
  • 482nd Fighter Wing commander
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Last week we recognized our Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard veterans who sacrificed, both in war and in peace, to protect America and the American way of life. We honored our brave men and women who proudly served this great nation, whether they wore the uniform today, or wore it decades ago; they represented a fundamental truth of America's Armed Forces: the truth of patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice.

Today we have a choice. We have a choice whether or not to serve. Many in the past did not have a choice. They were the drafted ones in the battle of Belleau Wood, storming the beaches at Normandy, Tinian, Iwo, freezing in the Chosin Reservoir, fighting at Inchon, during Hue`, Tet, and at the siege of Khe Sanh. Imagine receiving a draft notice in the mail and having to leave high school, family, all that was serene and being thrown into a hostile environment because your country needed you to do your duty.

Whereas the veterans of yesteryear had no choice -- things are different for you. You and all those you serve with made a choice to serve. You chose to do a duty, to do it proudly and professionally, truly putting service to the country before self.

We are always being challenged. The stressors and strains levied upon this wing come from all angles. Some are out of our control and others are not. When you reflect, taking note of the difficulties facing you day in and day out, what are you going to do? What are you going to do when you're not happy at work? What are you going to do when you see dissension within the organization? What are you going to do when "drama" is not addressed? What are you going to do to change the culture in your workplace? What are you going to do?

In the past few months I've noticed this wing has separated itself from the most fundamental warrior concept: Unity. The Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen who fought successfully in the aforementioned battles, and all battles since, did so by uniting. When they bonded as a team, coordinated their efforts, wanting to achieve nothing less than victory, they did so by uniting. We are all equal partners in achieving the ultimate goal--to Fly, Fight, and Win! We cannot win if we have our own objectives and personal agendas. We cannot win if we do not trust our fellow Airmen. We cannot win if we are not united as a team.

I've shared that our wing-specific purpose is "Strength in Unity." We can only succeed when we strive for perfection through a shared commitment of team unity. We cannot be an effective organization if we are off balance due to grievances, Inspector General complaints, sexual harassments, et cetera. We are not a brotherhood of Airmen if we consistently have dissension, complaining, and denying accountability for wrongdoing. We cannot succeed if each and every one of us isn't willing to do his part in positively affecting the wing's culture.

This wing has great Airmen. We have great supervisors and commanders. But we need to bring about a cultural change that allows us to bond, that unites us. "Cultural change," which means to change our work environment, can be especially hard. Some may think "this is the way we've always done it," or "I'm just one person, how can I make a difference?" Well, I'm here to tell you that you CAN make a difference. You have a choice to be part of the process of change or not. So, what are you going to do?

I received a lot of feedback after my Wing Commander's Call speech and one thing I consistently heard was, "that is exactly how I feel!" So, if that's true, then let's partner and move our wing to a higher level of performance. I need your help in establishing a foundation of dignity and respect in each squadron that will bring about a healthy, happy, and productive environment. When we establish this foundation there will be no limit to how successful we can be.

We have a purpose--Unity! Do not be afraid. I am with you all the way. In our efforts to unite we will be strengthened. We will be resilient. We will establish a foundation of dignity and respect. And . . .we will WIN!