Air Force attitude makes a difference

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Heather Alden
  • 100th Comptroller Squadron
RAF MILDENHALL, England (AFPN) --  What, exactly, is Air Force attitude? It’s a vague thing, really. It’s hard to define sometimes, but when you see it, you recognize it immediately.

You see it in the sharp troop at the gate who is chilled to the bone, yet still sports a uniform as crisp as the winter air. He still takes the time to ask how you’re doing, then bids you farewell with a smile on his face.

You see it in the first sergeant who makes it her top priority to care for her troops and their families, and in the squadron members who step up alongside the first sergeant to ensure families of deployed members are provided for. You see it on any Air Force base in the neatly landscaped lawns and the immaculate buildings.

The Air Force attitude is all around us. It’s what makes us stand out in a crowd. It’s the cornerstone of our culture. It is something we learn the second we begin our Air Force careers -- and it’s not just a military thing. It’s instilled in our Air Force civilians, our families, even the communities in which we serve.

The Air Force attitude comprises the core values, the customs and courtesies, the leadership skills and the professionalism we are taught from Day One.

We show off our attitude by how much care we take with our uniforms; how sharply we salute; how we render respect for the flag and those who came before us during retreat; with the pride we take in our organizations and the care we take with the resources we are given.

The Air Force attitude begins in the shared acceptance and embodiment of the core values. The core values give us the common ground on which we base our actions. They are the building blocks of our attitude. "Integrity first," "service before self" and "excellence in all we do" are our Air Force core. They are our heart.

If we’re faced with a dilemma, we strive to do the right thing, even when no one’s looking. That’s integrity, and it is prevalent throughout the Air Force.

If we’re given a job to do, we do our best. We always strive to improve ourselves and push our troops to challenge themselves.

That’s excellence and we see it from our peers, subordinates and leaders every day. Airmen and civilians alike do excellent work, we demand excellent work from others, and we recognize excellence when we see it.

Service before self … that’s our daily bread. We are faced with tough jobs that sometimes keep us from doing what we’d enjoy and instead have us doing what must be done.

Who cares if we don’t have a “battle cry” -- we’ve got attitude!