CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
I often have people tell me, "I wouldn't want your job," when they find out I'm the 437th Civil Engineer Squadron commander, or they will just wince and offer their condolences.
I understand their sympathy when taken at face value. It may seem that getting frequent calls or e-mails about inoperable toilets, sewage line breaks, buildings too hot, buildings too cold, burnt out light bulbs, not enough electrical outlets, dumpsters overflowing, power outages, unexploded ordnance off base, potholes on roads and runways, buildings on fire, (which is thankfully rare), rare hazardous material, or anything to do with housing, our most emotional area of responsibility, would be unpleasant.
Nope. I say bring them on. Why? These issues and problems will always exist ... and it will always be someone's job to ensure they're fixed. Today it's my job. Someone has to do it, and it might as well be me. For me, I was placed in this position by God, for others it was the wing commander, or the Air Force Personnel Center assignments team. It was not by accident, but deliberate and for a purpose.
You may be thinking to yourself, "My job is worse than that." I submit that, whatever your job, you can and should have a similar attitude about your work and your sphere of influence.
Chuck Swindoll, a well-known pastor and author, has quite a few quotes about attitude, my favorite is: "I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me."
Along similar lines from Colin Powell is, "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier." I've seen firsthand the results of both a positive attitude and optimism; they're contagious.
Here are a few more things which help me enjoy my job and make it not the worst job on base.
Don't take it personally. Seldom is my fellow squadron commander upset at me. Rather, he or she usually, for example, just wants the power back on in their facility and it probably wasn't my fault. Though when it is my fault, I must fess up.
Additionally, keep your cool under pressure. Whether it's time or money or the boss that just gave you one more suspense due first thing tomorrow morning, there's no reason to get worked up about something you often have little to no control over.
Finally, don't take your problems or stress home with you. I'm reminded of a short anecdote about "The Problem Tree," where a man would pause each night after work to touch a tree in his yard before going into his home. He hung his problems on the tree so as not to bring them into his house and would pick them up the next morning on the way to work if they were still there.
I believe my attitude encourages dialogue and interaction with others. As a support organization, I get a lot of satisfaction out of serving and making someone's day ... a working toilet will do that. Not that I personally take credit for it ... rather, the Airmen, military and civilian, who actually do the work in the 437 CES deserve the recognition and are second to none. They are dedicated and hard-working professionals, accomplishing great things as the best civil engineer squadron in Air Mobility Command - end of shameless publicity.
Base civil engineer: The worst job on base? No way.