Whatever the era, a Wingman is a promise, a pledge, a commitment

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Carlton Jamison
  • 60th Medical Group superintendent
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Four weeks ago, the enlisted men and women assigned to Travis attended the 2007 Enlisted Combat Dining-In. The theme was "Wingman -- never leave home without one." 

The Wingman concept is a time-honored tradition that dates back as far as World War I when a plane would fly beside and slightly behind another, providing an element of mutual support during aerial combat. 

For you movie enthusiasts, you may remember the scene from Top Gun during air combat training engagement where "Maverick" was wingman for "Hollywood." Instead, he "bugged out" (left his partner) to go after "Viper" one-on-one against the advice of "Goose," his Radar Intercept Officer -- ultimately leading to both of them being locked on and shot down in simulation by "Jester." 

Later, back in the fighter weapons school's locker room, Jester mentored Maverick with the following: "That was some of the best flying I've seen to date -- right up to the part where you got killed. You never, ever leave your Wingman." 

That Wingman concept in the air translates into the same thing on the ground; mutual support ... a promise, a pledge, a commitment. 

Looking back over the years, before I joined the Air Force, I've always had a Wingman ... it was termed differently. Growing up in the sixties, I called my closest friend "blood," i.e., "What's up, blood?" or, "That's my blood." 

As I got older, the terminology I used to identify my closest friend changed: "My Ace" (1970s), "Home-slice" (1980s), "Hommie" (1990s) and just a few years ago, "That's my dawg." 

Whatever term used, they all meant the same -- someone who I could call that will be there for me ... mutual support in time of need. 

What we must do now is to cultivate the Wingman environment and solidify a culture of promise, pledge and commitment. Throughout every conflict or war, when you ask a troop, "Why do you fight? What keeps you going?" the answer is usually, "I fight for my buddies. I cover their back and I know they have mine." 

Compared to the value of all Air Force facilities, machinery and our arsenal of aerospace weapon systems, what sustains combat capability and wins wars are our amazing people. As members of the world's greatest Air Force, we need to do more than have an "open door" policy - we need to reach out and offer ourselves to our fellow Airmen as mentors, counselors and as Wingmen. 

Keep on kicking!