The little brown book vital to Airman's success

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Steve A. Burns
  • 60th Medical Operations Squadron, Superintendent
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. --  What if I told you all the answers to being a good supervisor are found in one book? Most of you would look at me like I was crazy.

Ok, this book might not have all the answers, but I consider it to be one of the best books around for setting your Airmen up for success. It provides each of us the foundation from which to build our careers. It spells out what is expected from us and each level of enlisted supervision above us.

I remember when I came into the Air Force and my first supervisor sat me down for my initial orientation. He had this old raggedy little brown book (also known as AFI 36-2618) sitting on his desk. He told me to take it and read it from cover to cover and then come back and we would talk.

I thought to myself, "Is there going to be a multiple choice test when I get back?" As I sat down to read, I felt more confused than enlightened but I pressed on and read it from cover to cover. It made me wonder if this would be the first of many books I would have to read.

When I returned to my supervisor's office, he asked me what I thought. I told him it was a great book and that it gave me a better understanding of what was expected of me. I hoped that if I gave him a well-thought-out answer I might be able to get out of there without having to hear him lecture.

Surprisingly, he didn't lecture me. However, he did proceed to go over that little brown book line by line. I thought he was crazy at first or maybe he thought I wasn't a good reader and needed to have it explained to me. Whatever the reason, he made sure that by the time I left his office, I understood all of his expectations, as well as those of the Air Force.

Airmen have to know what is expected of them. It is the supervisor's responsibility to ensure expectations are clear, which should be done during an Airman's initial feedback. I hear it all the time: "Man, these airmen today seem to be clueless and they just don't get it!" I remind them that our supervisors probably said the same about us, but that they did something about it or at least mine did.

That little brown book of yesteryear isn't brown anymore, but still contains fundamental wisdom that is available to every Airman. Today, all an Airman has to do is Google "The Enlisted Force Structure" and they will have access to one of the best leadership books available.

I suggest to all my non-commissioned officers and senior NCOs that, like my first supervisor, they should sit their Airmen down and use the book as a reference to build a strong foundation and for future feedback.

When I speak to young Airmen, I ask them if they have ever read the Enlisted Force Structure. Most say "no" or give a blank stare that says it all. It makes me wonder if they have been set up for success. Have they been provided the necessary and basic foundation for which their career will be built?

If more supervisors used this book to set their Airmen up for success, we wouldn't have some of the issues we have today. I will always remember my first supervisor, Master Sgt. Donald Lowery. If I saw him today I would thank him for teaching me what the Air Force expected of me as I progressed throughout my career.

Next time you find yourself asking, "What is wrong with my Airmen," I recommend you ask this question: "Did I go over the Enlisted Force Structure with them?" It might not solve all the problems, but it will provide your Airmen the foundation needed to be successful in life. They will have a clearer understanding of what the Air Force expects of them and that is every supervisor's expectation.