LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Although my alarm clock comes to life at an obnoxious volume every day at 5:45 a.m., it's not what gets me out of bed each morning. Yeah sure, it may be what wakes me up, but it's definitely not what gets me out of bed.
What gets me out of bed every morning? My sense of purpose does. Where did I get this priceless gift? I got it from my past and present leaders. I fine tune it every day by watching and listening to my subordinates, my peers and my leaders.
Throughout my career my leaders have instilled in me the belief that I'm not getting out of bed just to go do a job. I'm getting out of bed to influence my world. How did they deliver this sense of purpose? By telling me and then showing me what makes my service far different than any job.
First, they introduced me to clear behavioral expectations ... and said they apply to every Airman (enlisted, officer and civilian). My leaders not only explained how important it was for me to understand these expectations, but their actions modeled these behaviors for me -- they showed me the way. Our core values -- they set the tone for everything we are as citizens and as Airmen.
Then they introduced me to accountability. Did they set high standards? Sure. Did they believe high standards were important? Sure. Did they believe there was one thing more important than high standards? Absolutely -- enforcement! They believed high standards were worthless without enforcement ... without accountability. They never once apologized for holding me or anyone else accountable. And, funny thing is, I never once expected them to.
Finally, they wanted me to understand what made me different. They'd tell me all the time, "not just anyone can do what we do. Not just anyone can be an Airman." They taught me about teamwork, shared commitment and uncommon purpose. They taught me few people are willing to put themselves second to the team and even fewer are willing to lay down their life to defend and advance our democratic ideals. Every Airman has a purpose, not a job.
Each morning, when my feet hit the floor, I'm thankful my leaders took the time to instill in me a sense of purpose, a broader understanding of the bigger picture, the answer to the question, "why am I here?"
Alarm clock? 20 bucks. Sense of purpose? Priceless!