CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
How many of you know the name of the soldier depicted on the 437th Airlift Wing's patch?
He is Francis Marion, known as the "Swamp Fox," who was a hero during the Revolutionary War. He fought the British through hard work and taking bold chances; he was all in for the team and never forgot he was a southern gentleman.
From his experience in the Revolutionary War, and how he conducted himself, we can see as a base how we can still uphold his work ethic.
The Swamp Fox believed in hard work and for members of Charleston AFB this is something we still believe in. Charleston AFB aircrews fly more than 20,000 sorties each year, almost double the number of sorties we flew before 9/11, and we are performing the mission with fewer Airmen and about the same number of aircraft. Simply put, we are all working harder.
Ansel Adams, a famous photographer, once said, "The harder you work, the luckier you get." Opportunities come to those who work hard, and your investment in hard work has produced opportunities our wing has capitalized on. Charleston was named best in the Department of Defense, the Air Force and in the command as evidenced through numerous inspections and top-level unit and individual awards.
The Swamp Fox was bold, audacious and clever and these are attributes I see throughout the base. Don't be afraid to take risks. Risks are the foundation for accomplishments, and while I'm clearly not advocating violating the rules, take on challenges you feel are unachievable. If you are able to get outside your comfort zone, you will grow and learn; we need risk takers in our Air Force. For this reason, the 437th Operations Group coin reads, "Semper Audenti," Latin for always audacious.
Once the Swamp Fox was committed to fight, he was "all in." Twenty years ago I was flying next to, now retired, Gen. Michael Dugan, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, in a C-21A Learjet when the jump seat pilot asked the general, "Do they give you the chance to take much leave?" The general responded, "I am they."
He wasn't telling us pompously that he did not need permission to take leave, he was telling us "he" and "they" are one. I thought, if a 4-star general could be "they," why can't I?" It was then that I decided to become "they." "They" is a state of mind and we are all part of the same Air Force, wearing the same uniform. Senior Master Sgt. Damian Fox refers to it as being "part of the company," not just "working for the company." The next time you hear someone complain, "they" or the "system" did something wrong, ask yourself why he or she didn't say "we" instead of "they?" Regardless of your rank, take ownership in the Air Force, be all in for the team, and help us fix what is wrong. Find solutions, be a vested participant, not an observer.
Lastly, Francis Marion was humble, gracious, southern gentleman. Just as he served while our nation was at war, today we serve our country during a time of war, which is the noblest of professions. We have more than 600 Charleston Airmen deployed around the world and more than 150 flyers on the road. On average, one-third of the active-duty wing deploys every year. We are making sacrifices daily at home and abroad, and our nation, our leaders and the greater Charleston community is very grateful for what we do. As professionals, we need to show humility and thank those around us. A thank you or a sincere compliment is free, can brighten a person's day, and is contagious. Mark Twain wrote, "I can live for two months on a good compliment."
Two hundred and thirty-three years later, or today, it's never too late to learn from war heroes of the past.