Commentary: Be good, be good, be proud

  • Published
  • By Col. Geoffrey Parkhurst
  • 56th Maintenance Group commander
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  It's a simple question -- why are you here? Here in the Air Force, I mean? Maybe you joined for patriotic reasons or you come from a military family. Did you join to see the world, pay for college or feed your family? Perhaps you joined for a different or several different reasons.

Whatever your reason, here you are supporting and defending our Constitution against all enemies. I, for one, want to tell you thanks for your decision to serve. Only a small number of Americans ever volunteer to serve in our military, yet here you are.

Since you've volunteered to dedicate four or more years of your life here, wouldn't it be great if those were good years for you?

Here is a fact I've learned in my 24 years of service. You, yes you, control whether your Air Force experience is a good one or bad one. Here are three very simple actions that can make the years you have dedicated to your Air Force good ones.

Be a good Airman

Most sections have someone who comes to work late, doesn't pay their bills, or fights with their spouse. Often, someone in your flight is mean-spirited or has proven they can't be trusted.

Obviously, none of these are qualities of a good Airman and chances are these people aren't enjoying their Air Force experience. Is one of these people you? If it is, think about what you can do to become the good Airman you initially thought you were going to be. Positive contact with your peers and supervisors makes life far more enjoyable wherever you are stationed.

Be good at your job

Being really good at your job is one of the most important contributors to whether you are happy in the Air Force.

Are you good at your job -- I mean really good at it? Do you know how to do things right the first time and actually do it that way? Even deeper, have you taken the time to learn why things are done that way? Do you do your job the way the Air Force wants it done, or do you use shortcuts instead?

If you think you are good, how do you know? Was your career development course final test score a 65 or 85? When was the last time someone in your shop came to you for advice on how to do something? Have you ever put in effort to learn more about the systems you work on or are you content to just do whatever your supervisor gives you to do?

You can make yourself smarter by volunteering for jobs you haven't done before or just by talking with older NCOs about tough jobs they've tackled. Either way, you can make sure you really are good at your job.

Be proud of everything you do

This is most important. Everything means everything, on and off-duty.

Making decisions you are proud of leads to happiness; making decisions on how to avoid "getting caught" probably won't turn out too well for you. The choices and outcomes are all yours.

Would you be more proud telling your flight chief you earned a "B" on that math class you took or that you earned a speeding ticket for driving 80 in a 55 mph zone?

Are you really proud of that 75.00 you somehow squeaked out on your last fitness test? Putting in a little more effort in advance could have earned you a more respectable 80 or higher and made you a little more proud in the process.

Try this little test. Before you do whatever you choose to do this weekend, ask yourself "Would I be proud of this if my commander knew about it?" If your answer is no, think about changing your plans.

These three little actions can help you make your Air Force experience the positive one you expected it to be when you volunteered to support and defend.

Thanks again for your decision to serve.