No place on the sideline

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Patrick Kennedy
  • 60th Medical Therapeutics and Diagnostics Squadron

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – As a young Airman I was not promoted to staff sergeant on my initial try. I was despondent and thought the promotion system had worked against me. I scored significantly higher than my peers on the career knowledge portion of the promotion test and because of my expertise, assumed I was entitled to my next stripe. 

I shared my frustration with my father and he asked me one simple and pivotal question, “Did you do everything you could do?” After an honest assessment of my effort, I felt convicted by my lack of ownership and engagement in my Air Force career. I had navigated my career from the sidelines through passive participation, hoping others would take care of me. Similarly, I thought that if I showed up and did my job, all would be well. 

Some of that misperception could be blamed on the follies of youth, but really, it was my lack of focus and understanding of the Air Force mission. As a result of my honest self-assessment, this epiphany was a sentinel life-changing event. I realized right then that my career is not a spectator sport and I decided to be an active participant in the planning and execution of Air Force operations, as well as my career.

That decision was the first step in realizing who and what I wanted to be — a leader. A mentor told me the best ability is availability. Being available is much more than “showing up” and punching a timeclock. It consists of making my organization better by looking for continuous process improvements, sharing my knowledge and experience with Airmen, being a beacon of positivity and an embodiment of the Air Force core values. I ask, does this sound like you? If not, or you are not sure, then I ask you a similar question my father asked me, “Are you doing everything you can do?”

As a valued member of our profession of arms and as a member of your unit we are counting on you not only to show up, but to step up and make us and you better. Your unit, the Air Force and our nation is counting on you. Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress, said, “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining.  You make progress by implementing ideas.”

Today, our Air Force and nation face many challenges that require innovative ideas and energetic Airmen to solve them. You are among the best and the brightest; but it is for naught if you are standing on the sidelines instead of actively participating to take your organization to the next level. The sideline is no place for an Airman.