Live life as Airmen with great pride, enthusiasm

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Hope Skibitsky
  • Travis Career Assistance Adviser & First Term Airman Center manager
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  "You are so ate up." "You don't have to bleed blue all the time, you know?" "You know you can't get step-promoted to chief. You know that right?" 

Comments such as these are often directed at Airmen who not only meet the expected standard, they strive to exceed the standard but why? Is it so wrong to take pride in service, to live by the Air Force's core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do?

Many Airmen arrive to their first duty station having already experienced the "shame game," for demonstrating drive or motivation in basic or technical training. Some of these Airmen cave to the pressure of their peers, feeling they would rather perform at a mediocre level and be left alone, than be harassed for performing at a level of excellence.

Why have we created such a culture, one which finds Airmen embarrassed to do their best for fear of ridicule?  A recent visit by our Air Mobility Command command chief left a huge impression on me, because Chief Master Sgt. Victoria Gamble said for us not to shorten our core values, not to say them out of order, and not to forget the underlying message in them - these are our building blocks, our foundation. 

Her message was not new, just often muted. It was a much-needed reminder. It is acceptable to be a great Airman. It is acceptable to follow the rules and to take pride in one's work. Airmen should not have to be embarrassed to properly wear the uniform, to hold each other accountable or to be humbled by the great responsibility we bear in defending our nation. 
 
We need to get out of the mindset that the Air Force is "just a job" and that we are "just employees." We are defenders of our nation's freedom and it is acceptable for us to perform at superior levels, regardless how big or small our contribution to the mission.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michaelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"

Let's get back in the business of being great Airmen - ate up with pride and enthusiasm.