Following core values -- are you up to the task?

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Eric Lorraine
  • 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England (AFPN) --  It has been said quite often that without quality people, the mission cannot succeed. Every day the Air Force is engaged in challenging, tough missions throughout the world and continues to need quality people.

Of course, the Air Force also needs quality equipment to do the mission -- the aircraft, computers, communications technology and so on that it must have to be successful. But above all, the Air Force needs people who can live up to and follow its core values: integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do. Are you up to the task?

Integrity is essential. It is the inner voice, the source of self-control and the basis for trust in our Air Force. It means you always try to do what is right, and you always try to do what is right regardless of whether anyone is watching or whether the issue at hand is pleasant or painful.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put it this way. He said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.”

Integrity is not something that can be taken away from you, but it is something that can be lost based on your actions and words.

Believe me, your integrity is not something you want to lose because it takes a long time to get it back. I fully realize that integrity is not always easy to practice.

It is a tough and demanding challenge, because so many situations come in shades of gray. But I have found, time and time again, that those things that demand the most out of you pay the biggest dividends and bring the biggest rewards in the long run. Are you up to the task?

People of integrity say what they mean and do what they say. If you can’t perform a particular task, inform your chain of command. If you inadvertently pass on bad information, correct it as soon as you find out it’s wrong. People of integrity do the right thing not because it is convenient or because they have no other choice. They choose the right thing because their character permits no less. Are you up to the task?

Service before self means placing the needs of the many over the needs of the individual. You have often heard the military referred to as “the service.” As a member of the Air Force, you serve the United States. Service before self means doing what is right for the nation, the Air Force, your unit and your subordinates -- and putting these responsibilities above your own interests. The needs of the Air Force and the nation come first. Are you up to the task?

This doesn’t mean that you neglect your family or yourself; in fact, such neglect weakens you and can cause more harm than good in the long run. Service before self doesn’t mean that you can’t have a strong ego, high self-esteem or even healthy ambition.

We all have personal goals and ambitions, and it is important to take steps to realize those goals and ambitions. That is what adds richness, depth and diversity to your own life.

Rather, service before self means you don’t make decisions or take actions that help your image or your career but hurt others or even harm the mission. The Air Force can’t function except as a team, and for a team to work, the individual has to give up self-interest for the good of the team.

As Gen. Omar Bradley put it several decades ago, “The nation today needs men who think in terms of service to their country and not in terms of their country’s debt to them.” I couldn’t agree more. Are you up to the task?

Excellence in all we do is the difference between simply getting by and striving for perfection. It is the personal satisfaction and thrill of performing at the peak of your abilities.

If you live your life with a passion for excellence you can reshape the world. Professionals do their work not just to the minimum standard, but to the very best of their ability. When you look back after a job is complete, you want to be able to say to yourself, “I couldn’t have given any more.” Are you up to the task?

Too many people settle for less than their best and convince themselves quality and integrity are negotiable. But I firmly believe excellence is a commitment to constant improvement.

Paraphrasing Gen. Hal Hornburg, Air Combat Command commander, there are only two directions to move in life, forward or backward. It is impossible to maintain the status quo. Maintaining the status quo means you are actually falling behind.

A person who displays a passion for excellence continually sees problems and challenges as opportunities rather than nuisances. I think Vince Lombardi put it best. “Unless you put everything you have into your pursuits -- your mind, your body, your total dedication -- what is life worth? The quality of life is in direct proportion to your commitment to excellence. Live your life with a passion for excellence and you can make a difference. Are you up to the task?

Make the effort to live up to the all the Air Force values. Implicitly, that is what you promised when you took your oath of office or enlistment. You made this promise publicly and the standards, Air Force core values, are also public.

To serve faithfully, you must be true to your oath and live by Air Force values in all that you do. Are you up to the task?