Faces of warriors don't change

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Robert Wicks
  • 36th Wing command chief master sergeant
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFPN) --  A few weeks ago, a friend shared some pictures of warriors printed in the Air Force Sergeant Association's "Sergeants" magazine. As I looked at these warriors who had battled in wars years apart, I thought, "Generations have passed, but the face of the warrior is the same."

I saw the faces of our past warriors when I visited Iwo Jima, the site of one of the landmark battles of World War II. I walked the black sand beach where the men hit the shore, stood on top of the volcanic crater of Mt. Suribachi, and heard briefings on the defensive and offensive maneuvers those brave men executed. I took in the entire landscape where those American and Japanese warriors battled, and I gained a new appreciation for the courage and determined will of our American fighters.

While there, I saw a vision of the face of those brave warriors; it was a face chiseled by devotion, passion, skill and discipline. The face was focused on an ideal bigger than them. This vision penetrated me to my inner core and made me wonder if my face showed the signs of a warrior.

When I enlisted in our Air Force in 1977, I didn't have a clue what it meant to be a warrior. I was just a simple country boy from Pennsylvania who had a lot of passion for serving his country.

But throughout the years, I have developed a collage of fundamentals that I have picked up from others, and these are the things that have helped me develop as an Airman warrior.

-- Live your life with absolute integrity.

-- Love what you are doing and do what you love.

-- Be a standard bearer.

-- Know your stuff.

-- Train like you fight.

-- Live like your life depended on it.

-- Explore your limitations, but make the most of your opportunities.

-- Treat others the way you want to be treated.

These eight fundamentals have become part of my inner fabric, and I believe they help develop the warriors of today as they did warriors of the past.

Integrity is the core of your character and your character is who you are; you do what is right, regardless of the cost. Make the most of what you are given. Carpe diem -- seize the day. Know what is required, do it and enforce it.

Your substance is your foundation, and knowing "it" is the responsibility of every human being. Be an expert at what you do. And to do that, you must train -- it is central to making us better at what we do.

During World War II, the men of the 101st Airborne trained for more than two years to prepare for the Normandy invasion and the grueling battles they subsequently faced. How much do you train to do your job? I believe that good isn't good enough when you are capable of excellent. So, don't just shuffle through; make the most of your chances.

Finally, the last fundamental is so important. Every Airman deserves five-star treatment whether they are an airman basic or a general officer. That seems so simple, yet we sometimes fall so short.

Though the implements of war have changed, the face of the warrior -- chiseled by these same fundamentals -- is passionate, skilled, disciplined, honed, trained and focused, and has the same distinct look yesterday and today.