Rules are in place for a reason

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Michael Williams
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing command chief
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  We, Travis Air Force Base, have recently experienced several alcohol-related incidents. I'll venture to say those incidents were not the first time those particular individuals committed acts unbecoming of an Airman. And, it's more than likely someone witnessed them not adhering to a standard or violating a rule, but elected to overlook their shortcomings.

I recently drove past an Airman walking with his hands in his pockets shielding them from the cold. I slowed down, rolled down the window and politely told him to remove his hands from his pocket. He replied, "Yes sir," and immediately pulled is hands from his pocket and continued on his way. I am confident the Airman was totally aware of the guidance prohibiting us from placing our hands in our pockets, because he began removing his hands before I could speak. However, he elected to ignore that particular rule protecting his hands from the cold ... gloves are authorized!

How many cars passed that Airman before me, I'll never know? At a minimum, I saw the four cars I stood idle behind waiting patiently for the light to change. Who will be there to correct him if he decides to ignore another rule? Would you have taken the time to enforce the standards? Or, was that particular infraction serious enough to warrant your immediate attention?

AFI 36-2903 reads, "Members will not stand or walk with hands in pockets of any uniform combination, other than to insert or remove items."

If we take care of the little issues, maybe the big issues will not surface. Don't turn a blind eye to anything. That includes something major like underage drinking, to something seemingly minor like hands in the pocket. No, I'm not comparing a crime with violation of standards. There is a significant disparity between the two, however, if we uphold the standards and rules at all levels we can make Travis a better place to live and work.

In my opinion, being selective regarding what violations to correct or ignore is the foundation of the challenges we're currently experiencing. Discipline is an essential element to good order, morale, safety and ultimately mission success. During a speech, the chief master sergeant of the Air Force recited, "There are leadership challenges.

Sometimes we are afraid to tell people when they are doing things wrong. Sometimes people think that following certain rules just isn't as important as following others. But how can we have people deciding to follow this rule but not another rule? It's about discipline. It's about integrity. It's about doing the right thing when no one is looking."

Leadership isn't a popularity contest. It's about taking care of the Air Force mission and our Airmen. Therefore, don't turn a blind eye, correct the small infractions ... you never know, you may help us eliminate the huge challenges we're facing. I realize I've talked about enforcing the standards before, however, given the increase in alcohol-related incidents I felt it is worth mentioning again.

As always, have a great weekend, be safe, make responsible choices and I'll see you around campus.