Take pride in being an Airman

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Michael Williams
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing command chief
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Hey, "Airman!" Yes you, I realize you may wear the rank insignia of a colonel, field or company grade officer, senior noncommissioned officer or noncommissioned officer; however, we are all Airmen. How many of you would stop or turn around in acknowledgement if you heard someone shout out, "Hey Airman?" Not too many of us would.

In fact, when someone asks what we do, we tell them our Air Force Specialty Code and go in depth trying to explain exactly what it is we do. On the other hand if you ask a Marine what they do, they respond saying, "I am a Marine." The same holds true for our Soldiers and Sailors. They all take pride in being affiliated with their respective branch of service. Where is the pride in being an Airman?

I remember visiting basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, back in January, to speak during their culminating ceremony. During the ceremony I sat there motionless, gazing at hundreds of trainees dressed in their Service Dress Uniform for the very first time.

Standing there shivering from the chill of the morning air; yet radiating with pride and passion beyond belief. I watched as joy overtook their faces when the instructors presented their basic trainee coin and for the very first time since arriving at basic training they were referred to as Airmen. We were invited to go and congratulate them on their accomplishment.

As each step brought me closer I noticed tears of joy streaming from their eyes, while others bottom lip quivered as they tried so desperately to fight back their tears. At that very moment I realized they understand the sacrifices, commitment, responsibilities and the demands that come with being an Airman ... an Airman in the greatest air, space and cyberspace force in the world.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley once said, "Serving as an Airman is an honor that thousands of young Americans want, but do not attain ..." Wearing the uniform of an Airman is a privilege and one we should be extremely proud of. We currently have more than 300,000 Airmen serving in more than 200 Air Force specialties across the globe. Some serving with the Army while others are serving in places I can't recite.

But regardless of our Air Force Specialty, who we serve with or where we serve; we are one team woven together from the same thread...the thread of an Airman.
We are some incredible Americans and have much to be proud of. We serve our country with dignity and should be extremely proud of who we are, because no one does it better and no one comes close.

A colleague of mine told me not to submit this article for publication because this message was and has been circulating around base for sometime. Maybe that's true and maybe, just maybe we need a little redundancy to remind us of who we are and what we represent. So if you've read or heard of this topic before, good. And, if this is your first time, great. See you around campus and as always, be safe and make responsible choices.