Remember why you serve for motivation Published March 18, 2016 By Lt. Col. Peter Abercrombie II 60th Aerial Port Squadron TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The pace of the Air Force doesn't stop. An analogy the 60th Maintenance Group commander, Col. Earl Scott, uses is that the mission comes at us like ocean waves. Once you get past one wave, there is another wave coming at you. We go from staff sergeant enlisted performance report closeout to a major base exercise to multiple inspections to Airmen enlisted performance reports closeouts to the next deployment. The battle to overcome each wave only to see another wave headed your way can be overwhelming and fatiguing. When the work and the stress start to add up, our job satisfaction starts to go down. This is the point where we all need a little motivation to get us back on track. One place to look for motivation is the day you first joined the Air Force. You voluntarily joined the Air Force and decided to defend this great nation of ours. Remember the sense of pride you felt when you raised your right hand and took the oath. The reasons for joining the military are as varied as there are people in the Air Force. Did you join because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and you determined another attack on U.S. soil would not happen again under your watch? Did you join to better yourself because of the opportunities the Air Force had to offer? Did you want to be a part of an organization that was a source of good in the world? I see this motivation all the time with the new Airmen who arrive in my squadron. They are motivated, enthusiastic, eager to apply their new skills and ready to take on the world. The motivating reasons why you joined the Air Force are still there, if you look. Somewhere along the way, the enthusiasm tapers and we get caught up in the day to day grind. We forget why we joined and why we wanted to serve in the first place. Every once in a while, we all need to stop and reflect on the purpose of why we serve. Another place to look for motivation is on your desk or on your phone. If you have a desk, I am sure there are pictures on it and they represent the most important people in your life. The background photo on your phone can represent the same thing. So whether it is pictures of your wife, husband, family, significant other, parents or friends, these are the individuals who motivate you. They are the ones who will brag about you to their friends, telling the world all about your great accomplishments. The overwhelming sense of pride they have in you and in what you represent is a great motivating factor. When work gets overwhelming, take a minute to look at those photos. Understanding what your service means to those you love can be enough motivation to get you back on track. I have a couple of motivating factors. My family loves being a part of the Air Force family and is proud to serve alongside me. They are proud of what I do and I want to do the best I can for them. My second motivating factor simply requires me to step outside my office and watch the airplanes take off and land. I have been a part of the Air Force for 37 years, having grown up in the Air Force. Even after all these years, there is nothing more inspiring to me than watching airplanes take off. The launching of aircraft allows the nation to project airpower anywhere in the world at any time and we all play a role in making that happen. We can defeat the enemy or bring hope to the desolate all by doing the best job we can day in and day out. That is what helps motivate me on those days when I need it. So when the waves are wearing you down, I challenge you to find your motivation and get ready to take on the next wave.