Don't lose the bubble

  • Published
  • By Maj. Paul Kopecki
  • 376th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron commander
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) --  In my business, I get a lot of advice. From general officers to brand new Airmen, all have high expectations and strong opinions when it comes to quality of life programs in our Air Force. And they should. That's one of the benefits of life in the Air Force over our sister services--we are stereotyped as the service that provides the best quality of life for our people and their families. But in our age of instant access and gratification, it's also easy to lose the bubble on what really matters.

Today, Manas Air Base is a centerpiece for U.S. military strategy and national objectives. We're defending our nation abroad in its greatest hour of need. It just doesn't get any better than this in an Air Force career. Yet we too are susceptible to losing perspective on how important our mission is and on how good we have it here.

Yogi Bera once said, "You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi's simplicity is as profound as it is funny. From his humor comes a fundamental truth -- sometimes we ignore the obvious by failing to open our eyes.

Take a look around us. We're hundreds of miles from the battlefront. We're living in hardened billets with indoor plumbing. We have the option to eat 24-hours-a-day. We have open access to continuous fitness and recreation programs. We have OBRs that take us horseback riding, hiking and golfing across the beautiful landscapes of Kyrgyzstan.

We're meeting future life-long friends and gaining invaluable experiences. Imagine telling your grandchildren about how little Manas Air Base was the linchpin in America's efforts to win the war in Afghanistan and bring stability to the free world, and you were there.

Now, take a look at that Soldier who's heading down range in harm's way for the next 15 months of his or her life. The one who will be taking convoys down improvised explosive device-laden roads, sleeping in lean-tos, eating MREs for months on end, and missing family more than you or I could ever imagine. And remember...some of them won't come back. Think of them.

Most of us are here for four months or less. Four months! So the next time you see a Soldier or Marine, you need to thank them for their and their family's sacrifice. And the next time your feel your personal expectations aren't being met, you need to ask yourself if you've lost the bubble on what really matters.


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