CMSAF: We can all learn from each other

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force
  • Rodney J. McKinley
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Isaac Griffith knows what to do at 5 p.m. every evening. As soon as he hears the music, he races outside and salutes.

"I know which way the National Anthem comes from every time," he said to me recently. "Because I walk around and when the music gets louder, that's the direction I'm walking in, and that's the direction it's coming from."

At 6 years old, little Isaac, along with his younger sister, Emily, need no instruction or lessons about pride. He takes this specific Air Force tradition very seriously. But after spending a few hours aboard a C-21 with Isaac and his family, it was easy to see why.

The story of my encounter with the Griffith family began on the flightline of Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. I was heading back to Washington D.C. They were trying to catch a hop home. All I was told was, "We have this family with young children. Do you mind if they come aboard?"

Of course I didn't mind, so the family boarded and I was immediately struck by their upbeat nature. You would have never thought they had just spent two very stressful days trying to get a flight. For the next few hours, I was able to talk with the young couple and be reminded again of what I appreciate so much about the Air Force -- the amazing people who serve and the amazing stories behind them.

Second Lt. Paul Griffith enlisted in the Air Force in 2000 on the recommendation of his mother. Married with a child on the way and completely dissatisfied with his job in sales, he and his wife, Catherine, were anxious for a new life.

"We had it all figured out once we made up our minds to go into the Air Force," said Catherine. "We were going to join, do the four years, work on his degree and then get out and use the Montgomery G.I. bill afterwards."

His goal was to go to medical school, and the Air Force looked like a good way to do that.

So, he left for basic and was sent to tech school with his wife's due date just days away. Yet a heart condition necessitated Catherine being moved to a different city, and it looked like Lieutenant Griffith was going to miss the birth of his son to attend school.

But then, they got their first dose of Air Force family life.

"They held his entire class for him for a week so that he could be with me and the baby," said Catherine. "And then his first sergeant visited us in the hospital and handed us some money, saying 'We passed the hat back at the squadron and this is what we came up with for you and your family.' We were so touched, because these were strangers. Complete strangers who didn't know anything about us. But the first sergeant said, 'No, these people are your new family. Your Air Force family now.'" 

That single act of kindness was a pivotal point for the Griffiths. As the lieutenant put it, "That was it for us. I pretty much said, you know, they're going to have to boot me out the door after 30 or 40 years because I'm not going anywhere."

From that point on, the Griffiths changed their plans for the future, ranging from career moves to lifestyle. As Catherine puts it, "It was a lifestyle choice. The Air Force became the career and medical school was just a part of that."

So for the next few years, with the unwavering support of his wife and children, Lieutenant Griffith set out on his journey, making rank below-the-zone and applying through the Air Education and Training Command for a commissioning program. All the while, he and his wife fully embraced the Air Force life, living on base, taking advantage of career development opportunities, using various family programs for support and making friends that "enriched our lives," said Catherine.

"Sure we've met people who weren't so nice or weren't very happy with where they were," she said. "But we've found that the friendliest people were really the ones who could really offer something to us, be it their friendship or opportunities."

Now an analyst at the Pentagon and living on Bolling Air Force Base, Lieutenant Griffith said he's learning a lot about leadership and how the Air Force functions, things he's going to take with him to medical school.

"I'm also learning that you've got to take care of your enlisted corps," he said. "You can't be a good officer without their support, too."

Catherine said she feels blessed to be stationed here.

"I like to tell my family we live in an exclusive gated community on the banks of the Potomac," she said. As a girl growing up in England and South Africa, she said she noticed only Americans have great pride in their nation.

"Where I'm from, people are proud of their national (sports) team, and not necessarily of their country. But here, every American puts a hand over their heart. That's just incredible to me." It's part of what inspired her to become the first American citizen in her family.

Theirs is a family that embodies the Air Force spirit and core values. They said they've found in the Air Force an organization that matches with their own beliefs and values -- to have integrity, to put service for others above oneself and to always do your best. It's why little Isaac takes pride in observing retreat every day.

"He likes to feel he's a part of the Air Force," said his mom.

After meeting the Griffiths, I really felt invigorated by their sense of optimism and good attitudes. They are an excellent example of where positive attitude and motivation can take you.

Their story is truly an inspiring one, and it's not the only one in the Air Force. It's overwhelming to think of how many families like them are out there supporting our service today.

Family is a very important part of our Air Force. The support of family -- be it spouses, children, parents or siblings -- can take our Air Force members very far in their career and life in general, as is the case with the Griffiths.

I encourage all of us to take time during our day to seek out people like the Griffiths, people who are positive and uplifting, who have experienced the ups and downs in life and have come out on top. We can all learn from them, and by sharing our stories, become better Airmen.

(This commentary and other viewpoints can be found on the AF Senior Leadership Viewpoints page at www.af.mil/library/viewpoints/)