Preparation brings success Published March 23, 2007 By Col. Steve Arquiette 60th Air Mobility Wing commander TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Success doesn't come to those with the will to succeed; it comes to those with the will to prepare! Next week we begin another three-day, round-the-clock exercise designed to test our ability to deploy. We routinely exercise and test our processes to ensure we accomplish the mission as efficiently and as safely as possible. It is in this preparation that we sow the seeds of success! As we enter another season of exercises leading up to our next ORI, balancing our day-to-day operations while preparing for our future is essential. Exercises bolster our ability to be expeditionary Airmen...it is not a job, it is our profession. Our country relies on us to be flawless when the time comes to respond to an accident, to perform a mass deployment, or to overcome a natural disaster. We cannot expect to be flawless if we don't practice and test our processes. Most of us wouldn't go try to run a marathon without training for it--the same holds true for our professions! Vince Lombardi is quoted as saying "practice doesn't make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect." While perfection is no easy goal, the importance of our calling demands it of us. The inherent dangerous nature of some of the tasks we are called to perform means our safety consciousness must be perfect as well. As we settle into routines and repeatedly accomplish our daily tasks, it is easy to cut corners. Please don't! Each day, America trusts our Airmen - as young as 18 years old - with millions of dollars worth of aircraft and equipment. Practice perfection every time you perform your job and let that become your standard. We are called to be ready to deploy at a moment's notice, to respond to our nation and the world in time of need and to do our jobs right--the first time! Please take these exercises seriously and learn from your mistakes before you are called to perform to a real-world crisis. I truly believe in the amazing, diverse capabilities of Team Travis, but to be prepared for success, we can all use a little more perfect practice! BE PROUD! BE SAFE!