Sweat the small stuff

  • Published
  • By Maj. Kevin Walker
  • 736th Security Forces Squadron commander
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFPN) --  Undoubtedly, some time in our life we have all been told, "Don't sweat the small stuff."

But instead, I would argue to say, "Sweat the small stuff." It's the small stuff that is going to set you apart. More on that in a minute.

We all rose our right hand and volunteered to become part of this great Air Force for various reasons.

Some may have entered to serve the country, some to pay for college, and some may have entered out of a sense of patriotism following Sept. 11, 2001.

No matter what our reasons, the overwhelming majority of today's Airmen care a great deal about the Air Force and are passionate about their job and career field. With that passion comes the drive to excel and the pride that is felt from a job well done.

But for some reason, many people don't let that passion or pride drive them all the way through their objective.

Many people have their eyes set on large targets but end up missing the small ones. While large targets are important, it's the small ones that can add up.

I had a commander once tell me the difference between a good unit and a great unit is the attention to detail. He couldn't have been more right.

Think of it like this. You have moved to a new assignment. Upon your arrival, you may have had someone meet you at the airport. They may have had a vehicle waiting for you, and they may have even driven you to your hotel or on-base lodging.

While there is nothing wrong with that welcome, some attention to the small details would really have made an impact.

Suppose that same sponsor met you at the airport with a welcome package, knew not only your name, but the name of your family members and pets, took you to pick up your rental car, gave you a quick tour of the surrounding area, drove you to your room, and even had some kind of food and drinks waiting for you in your room.

Those are the little details that delineate a good sponsor program with a great sponsor program. Just those little details tell a newly arrived Airman that the unit they are now assigned to is squared away and ready for them.

One more example could be your unit's physical training program.

Suppose your unit's PT program is conducted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Stretching is left up to each individual, the run can be however far or fast everyone would like, and then after the run everyone gets back together for cool-down stretches.

Now consider that same program where the unit fell into formation for stretches, everyone was in the Air Force PT uniform, everyone participated in calisthenics, an organized run was conducted for a known distance or pace, everyone conducted cool-down stretches together, and then pass-ons and orders of the day were issued.

While they are both effective PT programs, those little details easily set apart the good PT program from the great PT program. As good programs turn into great programs, the standard will be set.

The next thing you know, the squadron on a whole has transformed from a good squadron to a great squadron.

To put this all in perspective, small things not only can set a good unit apart from a great unit, they can save lives.

The attention to detail that comes with "sweating the small stuff" will help maintainers ensure all the tools are properly secured before the aircraft engines turn, they will help engineers ensure the electrical box is locked out before wires are cut, they will help trainers ensure the latest information is taught to teams deploying down range. The list can go on and on.

Practicing, demanding and enforcing attention to detail does not mean you are obsessive-compulsive; it means you care about your job and your Airmen. It means you have the passion and pride not only to do what is right, but to go that extra mile and make sure your task, unit, wing and Air Force are as squared away as they can possibly be.

Sweat the small stuff, and the small stuff will set you apart.