If all the world's a stage...

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Anna Siegel
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) --  Reality programming has taken over our televisions.

On any given channel on any given day, there seems to be a set of strangers or celebrities competing for money, fame or each other. Millions of viewers are privy to whichever intimate details about these "players" the producers of the shows decide to reveal.

This morning, as I laced up my boots, made sure my hair was in regulation and used extra-heavy starch to make my uniform look sharp, I thought about what an Air Force reality show would be like.

What would the military look like to the eyes of America? What would they think of us saluting each other as we walked by, driving so slowly on perfectly clean roads, always making sure our hats are on or off when they're supposed to be, and that we get in a few "Ma'ams" and "Sirs" with every conversation.

What would they think if we were sloppy, overweight or, God forbid, rude?

Would they be appalled by any inappropriate relationships the producers would choose to focus on? Would they be disappointed when airmen were arrested for behaving as if they didn't have any standards to guide them?

Would they be inspired by our camaraderie, built-in mentoring and morale-building programs? Would they be awed by the way we accomplish impossible missions time after time?

I hope the truth is dawning on you as it did on me.

There may not be camera crews following us around 24/7, and we may never have the opportunity to vent to our viewing public in a private moment. But the media or a curious citizen just might approach us for a comment, and to them we speak for the Air Force.

We may not be competing for a spouse, a record label or a million dollars, but our fight is of vital importance. We do what we do for America.

Our lives can't be captured in a TV show, a season or even a long-running series. We leave a legacy that has impact far beyond what we will ever see.

At the end of a show we can change the channel or turn the TV off and just as easily forget what it was that we saw. But we can't be members of the world's finest Air Force only during our working hours and then go home and turn it off.

Our audience lives in our homes, across the street and across the globe. Their eyes are not an invasion of our privacy, they are a test of our integrity.

So remember, my fellow airmen, America and the world are watching us. Your life tells the real Air Force story. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service)