CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
When was the last time you were in need and you literally had to reach beyond your own capabilities to someone who could help you out?
Was it your supervisor, your spouse, a friend or neighbor, maybe even your wingman? What was the occasion? Did you have a flat tire, run out of gas or did something break around the house?
What about the intangibles? Shift your thinking to the things that don't necessary break, but are just as important, including pre-deployment checklists, family care plans or even a safe ride home. What about when you need someone to talk, or just listen to you? Chances are, if you're reading this, then you can most definitely relate to some of these scenarios.
Unless you were on a temporary duty assignment, in-processing or on leave, then I know you were at Charleston AFB's most recent Wingman Day June 23.
Whether you were involved in all the activities offered or just showed up to support those who were, you were where you needed to be. How did the sporting events held at the gym on Wingman Day relate to the questions I asked earlier?
Who is your Wingman and what is a Wingman? We should focus our attention on the wingman culture and philosophy instead of just a single person. Charleston AFB doesn't require us to keep a wingman's card on us with several different ways to contact them if needed.
In other words, you don't need just one person you solely depend on in times of crises; instead, we should be learning that it is a culture of "Airmen taking care of Airmen." How's that saying go, if left to my own devices, I'd make many mistakes?
I know our squadron hit the courts running when Wingman Day kicked off that morning, and we didn't stop after we left for lunch either. We took that fired-up intensity from the early morning sporting events and brought that camaraderie to our team building sessions in the afternoon. What an awesome opportunity it was to see fellow co-workers in that environment. It gave several Airmen the avenue to talk to other squadron members they don't normally see on a daily basis.
You've heard the saying, "nothing's free," right? Well truth be told, our Wingman Day was no exception. It too came with a considerable cost to the wing based on reduced operations. That being said, how encouraging is it to know we work for a service branch that will invest the time and resources necessary to support its employees for the sake of well being, trust, a healthy work environment, instilling a culture of responsible choices and accountability. This reminds me of a give-to-get situation. Our wing invested an entire day away from the major operations for us; now it's our turn. We can do our part by checking in with our wingman. Let's continue our safe trek through the remaining days of the critical days of summer campaign by adopting the wingman culture.
Maybe you have an idea for a different event for the next Wingman Day and you would liked to see something added. If so, keep those ideas close at hand and when our next Wingman Day is planned, maybe you can be your squadron's volunteer and incorporate your ideas to the day's events.
A very special thanks to Veronica Griffin and all the unit point of contacts for making this year's Wingman Day such a huge success.