Readiness foundation for success

  • Published
  • By Col. Mark Dillon
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing commander
TRAVIS AFB, Calif --  Personal readiness is the foundation for mission success. Without it no unit could contribute to the larger mission. The mobility processing line may be the moment of truth when it comes to unit readiness, however, the steps toward that moment began long before you packed your bag: it began when you were working on your personal readiness. 

This is not a sporadic process. If anything, personal readiness is a daily process, a personal habit. It demands a level of personal commitment that makes the Air Force and each service unique. It is a vital part of our ability to contribute to the Air Force and DoD mission. 

That we must devote so much time towards achieving it seems a truism. Build a house on sand and it will eventually collapse. Build it on rock, and it will endure. To ensure we build on rock and not sand, the Air Force provides us with standards that each of us is responsible for achieving. 

The unit deployment managers and those in Personnel Readiness do their part to ensure each Airman maintains those standards. Nonetheless, each Airman is responsible for maintaining their readiness. This shift towards making each Airman accountable for meeting those standards has gained momentum as the Air Force has shifted towards deploying forces. 

It has occurred in many areas. Consider training. Those of us who have been in the service longer than twenty years remember when we attended classes to learn the same information that today's Airmen learn through the Advanced Distributed Learning System. The ADLS is certainly more efficient, but it shifts the responsibility for completing the courses on to the individual. 

Personal fitness is another area where you are responsible for meeting the Air Force standard. Except for unit or medical programs, the responsibility is on you to maintain your weight and fitness so that you can accomplish the mission.
At the same time, personal accountability is more than just "personal." How well you meet the standard impacts others, often in subtle ways. Consider hospital appointments for example. 

Good health is part of personal and unit readiness. Consequently the health professionals at David Grant USAF Medical Center strive to provide you with the best care they can. They have a standard, too. So imagine the consequences when an Airman misses a medical appointment. Failing to meet that standard starts a change reaction. Valuable time is lost that could have been used to help other Airmen maintain their readiness. 

Seen in this light, does a missed appointment affect personal readiness? Definitely. Does it affect unit readiness? Absolutely. 

And finally, our civil service employees contribute to our ability to maintain readiness. Whether in air traffic control, wing operations, aircraft maintenance, civil engineering and many other areas - the continuity of experience and knowledge they bring to Team Travis allows Airmen to maintain their readiness for future deployments. 

Achieving readiness is a complex process. The standards are there, you just have to meet them. Doing this, you contribute to the personal dynamics of your unit, sharing the work, recognizing the achievements of your wingmen, knowing each contributes to the whole. 

Whether it's with your job, fitness or values - striving to meet and exceed the standard maintains your readiness, improves Team Travis and ultimately our Air Force.