NCOs must use voices to pass on Air Force's legacy

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Jay Banghart
  • 60th Maintenance Squadron superintendent
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  "Back when I was an Airman" or "When I first came in the Air Force" are sayings that we often hear from our supervisors or senior Air Force leaders.

We have all been there, listening to our parents or supervisors tell how it was back when they grew up or when they were our age, before there was cable television, the internet, social media or email. Sometimes, we take an interest and ask how things ever got done back then.

With today's almost unlimited access to vast amounts of information, we can read and learn quite a bit about our Air Force history and how much it has changed through the years. But just reading about our history will not answer questions you may have or give you a personal perspective on how the changes affected them during day to day operations.

In my 23 years in the Air Force, a few changes stand out to me. Just to name a few, senior airmen and below who lived in the dorms shared a room, basic training was six weeks long or two - and - a - half weeks for some, we had warrant officers in the Reserves until 1992 and some E-4s were buck sergeants until the rank was eliminated in 1991.

One example that most may remember is when we transitioned from the Battle Dress Uniforms to the current Airman Battle Uniform just a few years ago.

When I joined the Air Force in 1990, there were a few NCOs still wearing green fatigues, the uniform that was replaced by the BDU. More than likely, if you ask most Airmen today which uniform replaced the BDUs or what is a fatigue uniform, they would have no idea what you are talking about. Eventually, the BDUs also will be a distant memory and Airmen in the future will have no idea what they are unless you pass on your story.

Even if you joined the Air Force at the same time as another Airman, not everyone's experience is exactly the same, taking into account different commands, bases, and career progression. Every Air Force specialty code has its unique history regarding how it came to be considering AFSC mergers and streamlining. Most of the history about how your AFSC came to be today is not shared in any history books, but told by word of mouth from the Chiefs and Colonels in that specific AFSC.

Everyone should be proud to share their Air Force experience. Whether serving four, 20 or 30 years, your contributions to the Air Force mission are part of our history and heritage. If you are not already telling your "Back when I was an Airman" or "When I first came in the Air Force" story to your Airmen, I urge you to start now because if it is not passed on to our future leaders, in some instances, it will vanish in time.