Core values are solid foundation

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Terry Kono
  • 28th Operations Group
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. (AFPN) --  "You fall back to your initial training that says, 'Hey, let's get the job done.'"

Those were the thoughts of Lt. Col. Fred Swan when his B-1 Lancer crew received a critical targeting direction that would lead them to strike the suspected location of Saddam Hussein.

After the initial surge of excitement at the prospect of bombing "the big one," the Ellsworth airmen relied on a foundation of sound airmanship, crew discipline, checklist procedures, knowledge of 28th Bomb Wing mission standards and commitment to duty to achieve their objective. Without these basics, success might not have come so smoothly.

When we send our troops forward into combat, we do so with an earnest belief that their knowledge, values and commitment are the solid foundation that will endure the challenges of war. To maintain the integrity of our foundation, we must constantly affirm its strength. This applies equally to the general profession of arms, and to each of our specialties.

Unfortunately, in our high operations tempo and high personnel tempo military, it is easy to lose sight of the basics, to take shortcuts and to run before we walk. Immediate gains made from bypassing the basics may ultimately be offset by losses -- sometimes severe losses.

Lt. Gen. William Hobbins, the 12th Air Force commander, expressed such a concern recently when he directed his flying wings to establish back-to-basics programs for flight training.

The number of Class A mishaps in 2003, particularly in formation procedures, identified weaknesses in air crew members' adherence to standards -- or their lack of understanding of the standards. We needed to reaffirm that we could practice what we preached by emphasizing basic airmanship and flight discipline.

Such has proven the recipe for success for our B-1 bomber crews, maintainers and support troops' performance throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ideally, "back to basics" means we can fall back on the foundations we have strived to reinforce through a well-designed "building block" strategy. Back to basics does not mean starting from scratch every time, nor is it limited to our daily jobs.

When I took an assignment as an instructor at the Naval Academy in 1993, I began the academic year following a cheating scandal. The focus of a few students had strayed from honor to football, completely disrupting their military values.

While the foundation of honor at the academy was not completely broken, it was in disrepair from neglect. The end results were dismissals of midshipmen, significant leadership changes and literally years of creating ethics programs and building values that should have already been in place -- the basics.

One of the great honors I have received as an officer and commander is reaffirming the oath of office at promotions and re-enlistments. I firmly believe the troops standing before me live those words on a daily basis. It is sound back to basics for us to say and hear the oath, with a raised hand, before our fellow comrades in arms.

Gen. Curtis LeMay's description of what he called our "rocks and oaks," that is, our basics, is written on the back of "The Little Blue Book" of Air Force core values:

"I hope that the United States of America has not yet passed the peak of honor and beauty, and that our people can still sustain certain philosophies at which some miserable souls feel it incumbent to sneer. I refer to some of the Psalms, and to the Gettysburg Address and the (Boy Scout) oath.

I refer to the Lord's Prayer, and to that other oath which a man must take when he stands with hand uplifted, and swears that he will defend his Country."

If you keep the basics in mind everyday, your foundation will be sound and success will be sure. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service)