An Honored Place in Society

  • Published
  • By Colonel Greg Schwab
  • 615th Contingency Operations Support Group commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  As military members, we are part of an absolutely extraordinary organization. Most of you reading this article should not find that statement too far from your own experiences. However, some of us may feel uncomfortable expressing this bold statement when speaking to our friends and relatives outside the military. I will tell you that those friends and relatives already believe it to be true. Recent polling data from Gallop and the Pew Center shows that the American people consistently rate their confidence in the military near the top of the chart. Interestingly enough, the Supreme Court, banks and schools are all rated much lower in confidence than the military.

So what is it about the military that consistently garners such confidence from the public at large? The obvious answer is that each and every one of us freely took the oath of office to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

This is a profound responsibility and no other military in the world defends its country better than the U.S. armed forces. By freely taking the oath, our members immediately elevate their place in society for their willingness to risk their lives for the collective security of the nation.

However, I think society's high confidence in us is rooted in far more than our acceptance of this great responsibility. I think we have proven to society that our success comes from the themes found in our core values. For the Air Force, it's summed up as "Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All We Do." It is in living up to these core values that the Air Force has achieved astonishing success in war and in peace which only adds to the respect from the general public.

I also believe each of our Airmen are a national asset. Whether you are here at Travis or deployed halfway around the world, each of us vital to mission success. It is easy to be humble and shrug off the thought that somehow we are essential to the Air Force's mission, but is true. Look at how much time leadership from the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force all the way down to our front-line supervisors spend on ensuring each and every Airman is safe and mission ready.

Programs such as Operational Risk Management, Wingman Day, Voluntary Protection Programs, flying and ground safety programs, were established to ensure we manage the risk to our Airmen who ultimately make the mission happen. The country invests an enormous amount of resources to ensure our success. As a result, generations of Airmen have provided enormous return on this investment and have ensured the country remains safe. We are the recipients of that legacy as we take it to new heights every day. Your friends and family know this, too, and they respect it.

To be part of this outstanding organization also means there must be an unbreakable bond of trust and confidence between Airmen. That means we must strive to be the best at our particular career field, we must take care of each other to ensure the team is as strong as possible and we must also accept that some may not be up to the challenge. For those whose personal choices make continued service incompatible with good order and discipline, it is essential we not tolerate their behavior and ensure those individuals rapidly find another place in society. This is a key element not only in the Air Force but also in any outstanding organization.

For those who accept the responsibility of office and consistently live the core values, the rewards are great not only for the country, but for Airmen as well. For example, one would be hard matched to find an organization that promotes camaraderie more than the military. This is obvious in the infinite shared stories of places visited, common-career field experiences and recollections of Airmen at work and play. So when you put on your uniform, rest assured you are not only serving an honored position in society, but are also amassing adventures, creating memories and establishing friendships that will last a lifetime.