Building military family is crucial

  • Published
  • By Maj. Andy Levien
  • 60th Maintenance Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. --  "Mission first, people always." Gen. Raymond Johns Jr., Air Mobility Command commander, made this statement when I attended the June 2010 AMC Commander's Course. This short statement struck me because I have always lived by the belief that if you take care of your people, they will take care of the mission. This statement reiterated the point that we must put the mission first while always considering the needs and concerns of our people.

I believe we do a very good job of taking care of the mission--proven during the real world operations we conduct so well everyday and documented in our recent Operational Readiness and Compliance inspections by AMC.

But are we "always" taking care of our people--our #1 resource? Are we building a strong military family?

When we join the Air Force, we become part of a family that will go above and beyond to take care of our own. This family extends beyond just our Airmen that put on a uniform everyday, it must include the spouses that sacrifice at home as well. A happy home life leads to a better work life.

As a commander, building that strong military family is part of my daily battle rhythm. Our squadron has done several things to make this a priority. First and foremost, we stress the importance of knowing your teammates. Do you recognize when your Wingman is not him or herself--when something is out of the ordinary? This knowledge is built through one-on-one and small group settings that allow discussions to ensue. Events like Wingman Day where we participated in small group "games" and sports and interactions created during our pre-weekend briefings between frontline supervisors and their Airmen build this knowledge base. As GI Joe used to say, "knowing is half the battle."

Next, we try to show our Airmen that we care! We utilize personal letters, recognition programs or just a simple hello. When you ask a person how they are doing, are you ready to listen to their response? Our Wingmen must know that we care and they must feel comfortable approaching us to ask for help.

Once you know your Wingman and they trust you and know you care, will you take action when you recognize something is not right? Recently, a senior noncommissioned officer in the 60th Maintenance Squadron noticed that one of the Airmen was not acting like his normal self. The NCOs action got him the help he needed and, in turn, built a bond that will last forever. That Airman knows he is part of a larger family--the military family--and we will take care of him and every other Airman.

If all of us take the time to get to know our fellow Wingman, show them that we care and take action when we notice something out of the ordinary, we will have a strong military family that nothing can stop and we will accomplish "Mission first, people always."