Back to basics: Living by Air Force's core values Published Sept. 11, 2014 By Chief Master Sgt. Dinah Balladeo 349th Force Support Squadron TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Air Force Instruction 1-1, "the little blue book," should be part of our uniform. Whoever we are and whatever we do, we fit on the Air Force team. Integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do is our bond. This is the basic tenet of why we are in the Air Force. It's what we are and what we represent. We are the standard bearers of this reminder of what it takes to get the mission done. All of us have a story of why we joined the Air Force. In my time, the recruiting logo was, "Air Force, it's a great way of life." It surely was my way of life, and still is today. It has provided me stability, focus and purpose while I go through this journey called life. It provided me opportunities I never imagined possible. It also provided me challenges that made me stay grounded. The Air Force core values keep me focused on the mission at hand. Integrity first, for me, is inside each of us. It is our character trait, made stronger with basic military training and, now, every day while at work. It is our moral compass, the inner voice, the self-discipline. It is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Service before self tells us that professional duty takes precedence over personal desires. To be a good leader, you must be a good follower. A good leader places the Airmen ahead of his or her personal comfort. It is the humility in us. As members of the Air Force, we are expected to exhibit a high level of professional skills, the commitment and willingness to make personal sacrifices. Part of service before self is having faith in the system. It is our duty as leaders to have faith in the system, to use it for the good of the unit and ensure our subordinates do not lose faith in the system. Excellence in all we do encompasses the belief in continuous improvement and promoting innovation. It is the belief that we must continue to evolve in order to sustain excellence. The desire for personal excellence pushes us to seek that higher level of professional military education or physical fitness. It is when the thirst for knowledge extends beyond mere education to professional excellence. There are five ways to advocate excellence: -Service/product excellence focuses on services we provide to our customers. -Personal excellence includes seeking professional military education and staying physically and mentally healthy. -Community excellence is achieved when we give back to our community partners through volunteerism. -Resources excellence is our commitment to preventing fraud waste and abuse, being good stewards of the taxpayer dollars. We must use our human resources efficiently by recruiting, training, promoting and retaining those who can do the best job. -Operational excellence is how we do business within and outside the Air Force. Integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do. This is what we stand for.