Don't let the "details" slide; wear your pride

  • Published
  • By Maj. Gen. Michael W. Wooley
  • Third Air Force commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England (AFPN) --  Ralph Waldo Emerson once noted: “What you are stands over you…and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary.”

What does this mean in today’s Air Force? I believe it means that I should be able to spot professional airmen from across a parking lot, before they render a sharp salute and a verbal greeting. I should be able to tell by the manner in which they carry themselves, with their heads held high and looking everyone in the eye, and by the crisply ironed uniforms bloused over freshly shined boots. It means that those of us who serve don’t just throw on a uniform because we have to. We wear it with pride because we choose to.

The men and women of the U. S. Air Force comprise the finest fighting force in the world. With few exceptions, they are honorable, brave warriors who have conducted themselves brilliantly in conflict. They embody the spirit of the heroes of past and give us great hope for the future.

Given what many of us have been through during our days in the Air Force -- the end of the Cold War; downsizing; the Gulf War; operations Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and numerous others -- focusing on military standards of dress and appearance may seem like getting “down in the weeds” with details. Experienced military men and women know, however, that it is often the details that mean the difference between mission accomplishment and failure.

I know how easy it is to let customs and courtesies slide when deployed, when trying to accomplish so much with so few people and resources, when we are all hyper-focused on life-or-death missions. But we are what the American people and our allies see and equate to the U.S. military. No matter what the rank, how we look and conduct ourselves does matter. If we “let the details slide,” then who is to say what’s next?

Everywhere I go I am consistently impressed by the sharp men and women I meet because I know why they behave that way. They take pride in their Air Force, and how they conduct themselves underscores that pride. Each of us who serves is a role model, an ambassador in blue.

For those who have gone before us, who have given their lives so that we could have this great Air Force, so that we could enjoy the wonders of freedom and liberty, we pledge our best. Remember each morning as you put on your uniform what it stands for. Then you will always look, act and be that ambassador. (Courtesy of United States Air Forces in Europe News Service)