Integrity - Driving "Back to Basics"

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Paul Brown
  • 860th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  As I reflect on nearly three years in command of the 860th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, I never cease to be amazed by the incredible mission results our wing has executed, and I burst with pride at the successful part our maintainers have played in it.

Our many great accomplishments are a testament to our part in the best trained and educated Air Force in the world. 

Tantamount to our force capabilities are our core values, and our success and reputation is built upon them. While each core value is critical, I believe integrity best captures the sacred trust we are given by our country when called to serve. Further, it drives the "basics" behind everything we do. 

We already know integrity is doing the right thing all the time, even when no one's watching. But integrity stretches beyond the personal application. It impacts our operations, organization, and demands accountability from followers and leaders at all levels. Ultimately, integrity is the lynchpin of our "back-to-basics" focus. 

With regard to operations, Dr. Ronald Ritter, the Special Assistant for Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, best captured the strong need for operational integrity in a recent Air Force news story. This included the need for "absolute mission reliability with a zero-tolerance for readiness failure, security of operations and the best possible personnel safety." While broad in context, this can be applied regardless of where one works. Ensuring integrity in operational security and safety are back-to-basics' priorities. 

The threats to security, especially in the cyber arena, are ever-present and growing. Our personal vigilance and integrity will ensure these threats are mitigated. 

Every time I speak with someone joining our squadron, I discuss my expectation for integrity in our organization. It's an expectation we should have of ourselves and others at every level. I can't think of a single occasion over the past three years when someone ran into trouble in my squadron for doing the right thing, but I can think of many times when doing the right thing was the more difficult choice, or involved confrontation and conflict. That's the accountability piece, and it's a challenge we all face daily in trying to live and serve with integrity. Think about it. You know that occasion when the line was blurred. When you or someone you work with used the gray area to make the easier choice. Perhaps it wasn't the best choice, or the right choice in line with integrity. Did you give them a new vector? Did you check yourself? Did you ensure accountability? Some actions will carry consequences, and some may avoid them, but in our organizations today, we all need to demand the high ground of ourselves and others when it comes to integrity. 

Ultimately, it's "integrity" first. Integrity is our foundation of strength as a force, and defines our actions to those we work with as well as the nation we serve. I ask you to join me in a renewed focus on strengthening our integrity individually, operationally and organizationally. It's the first step, and part of every step, of a "back-to-basics" approach to mission accomplishment.