Airmen should put 'best foot forward'

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Elaine Aviles
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (AFPN) --  My friend was taking a walk on the beach recently when a sunbather called out to her. Thinking she knew him, she stopped for a moment.

The man proceeded to tell her she was “too fat to wear a bathing suit” and that she resembled a “side of beef.”

When she told me about her weekend, I was sickened and angered by the unnecessary cruelty of these remarks.

I asked her if it was a kid who had taunted her. She said, “No, it was an Airman from Incirlik.”

I’ve recently heard other, equally disturbing, stories. Airmen who urinated off balconies, started drunken brawls or deliberately disrespected our host country laws.

I am confused by this kind of behavior. While many Airmen are young and fresh out of high school, they are not children who are unable to discern right from wrong. Many are responsible for billions of dollars worth of equipment; others protect assets that can tilt the balance of power during a war. That is an incredible responsibility for an 18- or 20-year-old who still vividly recalls his high school prom night.

We need to show the same maturity and responsibility off duty as we do when in uniform. It is tempting to “let loose” when we are far from supervisors and commanders, but a night of seemingly innocent fun could land someone in jail. In fact, according to the Area Defense Counsel here, a charge like indecent exposure can carry some weighty penalties, such as a bad conduct discharge and a six-month confinement.

We have heard countless times that, as Airmen in another country, we are informal U.S. ambassadors. I think we need to take this calling to heart.

What do our host nation friends and neighbors think of Americans when they see someone exposed on a hotel balcony urinating on their ground or starting a fight at a nightclub? What does my civilian friend think of Airmen when she can’t even walk down a beach without being subjected to cruelty?

Whether in or out of uniform, people look to us and form judgments about the military and Americans through the example each one of us presents.

There are, of course, countless Airmen who are exemplary models to the community. They volunteer in orphanages and chapels, and take time out of busy schedules and weekends to help others. These Airmen are an example to our host nation friends and to the Air Force.

Hopefully, a few "bad apples" won’t detract from their selfless accomplishments and sway people to think their behavior is reflective of all military people.

I know every service member is under an inordinate amount of stress. It is important to blow off steam. But, as we do so, let’s not embarrass ourselves and each other.

Think twice before you indulge in that final cocktail that puts you over the edge of reason. If you are the one watching someone else about to make a fatal error, help him or her put on the brakes or find someone, such as a senior NCO, who can.

When we take off the uniform at the end of each duty day, let’s not also remove what it represents -- a symbol of pride and freedom. Whether people recognize we are in the military or not, let’s put our best foot forward and show them what we are all about.