Pride in ownership

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Jimmy Shaw
  • Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) --  "You have the best salute," I said while coming through the gate a couple of weeks ago. The Airman standing behind the salute, Senior Airman Kimberlee Davis, from the 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, replied with words that have stayed with me ever since.

"I take pride in my salute," she said.

Those simple, yet powerful words have turned out to be a great inspiration to me. Pride! Every one of us enjoys our own personal pride in what we do, how we look, how we conduct ourselves. It is that pride and sense of duty that allow us to set high standards and strive to surpass them.

We stand apart from the rest of society. We are an all-volunteer force, protecting our country and the lives of not only Americans, but the lives of people throughout the world. I'm proud of my unit, the task assigned to us, and I take great pride in our mission accomplishments. America, in my mind, is the last best place on earth.

As President Ronald Reagan said, "America is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere."

I take great pride in my country. Because of that pride, I joined the military. Because of that pride, small sacrifices seem insignificant. Because of that pride, I'll do whatever it takes to protect her and her inhabitants.

If taking pride and putting a little effort into a salute can provide the best salute ever, then what will a little pride do when spread around this entire base? I'm sure that everyone has heard the term "pride in ownership," so what can that motto mean to us at this undisclosed location in Southwest Asia?

If we break away from the "treat it like a rental" attitude that is prevalent to the AEF mindset, this base can shine more than it does and become a place that you are proud to call home.
 
Regardless of the length of your deployment, you are part of this team. If you take pride in yourself, pride in your job, the mission and your home away from home, then things will change.
 
I believe real change starts with a vision, then matures with an attitude, and then is harvested as we embrace a new way of accomplishing assigned duties. Adopting a little pride in ownership will make a huge difference.

We can't be a bunch of people who just let things happen. We need to be the ones that make things happen. Airman Davis didn't just let her salute happen. She made it happen through practice and a little effort. Former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said "All work is honorable. Always do your best, because someone is watching."

I say do your best even when nobody's watching. If each of us keeps a little pride in ownership in our cross-check, if we remember that the military is a profession, not just a job, and that we are part of something bigger than just ourselves, then there is no limit to what we can accomplish. Airman Davis accomplished the perfect salute. What can you make perfect?