JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Not everyone has the privilege of serving in the United States Air Force. There is something that drives us and makes us different than an ordinary citizen. We are expected to live in a way that exemplifies our core values. We owe it to our fellow citizens to perform with excellence, service and integrity. This burning inside to do what's right, and to do it right for the right reasons is described in one word: character.
At the same time, we work hard to ensure our Airmen are prepared to do their jobs. We walk them from basic trainee, to apprentice, to journeyman and some on to craftsmen. We place a huge emphasis on training for the purpose of increasing another important attribute: competence.
But possessing only one of the two qualities is not enough. Both are required to be an Airman.
Competence is easier to gain. The Air Force is very interested in making sure we have the most trained Airmen in the world and we are successful. The proof is in how we are superior in all domains in which we operate. In my functional area, I have skill sets that are very similar to what's found in the local community. I have master electricians, certified emergency managers, accredited incident managers, draftsmen, engineers and many other "common" trades. So it's not these jobs that make an Airman who he or she is. Competence simply makes a person able to do the job we've asked them to do.
We ask our Airmen to do their jobs under an umbrella of core values, instructions and perhaps most importantly, an oath. Setting the stage this way, we ask our Airmen to do their jobs and live their lives with character. I expect our Airmen to be professional, respectful and to do their duties as ordered. These expectations are not fully required on the "outside." Character is the quality demanding us to remain physically fit, drug-free and living fully within the limits of the law. It requires us to treat each other with dignity and respect. Character drives us to excel and to do better. It's what helps us answer the late-night "no air conditioning" call and respond as we do. Character tells us to put our service in front of our self; to do all things with integrity; to have excellence at the center of how we do things.
As a commander, I expect my Airmen to possess both competence and character. But I place a higher importance on character, because it's something the individual possesses solely. I can send a person to training to gain competence. I can create training plans to make sure my Airmen are getting upgraded, but character comes from within. My experience shows that troubles are often accompanied by or associated with a lack of character. Building character by example of senior and peer leaders, and improving competence can yield outstanding Airmen - those who know what to do, how to do it and to do it with character.