CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
"Back in the day" ... "that's not how they taught us" ... "when I was an Airman" ... and countless other sayings you've heard echoed from other Air Force members a time or two has to find you nodding your head in agreement. The fact is, these statements are spot on and actually remind us, or at least me, of how things used to be compared to where we are now. Is that a good thing? I know what my answer is; let's continue so we can find out what you think.
Our father's Air Force did more than continue the proud heritage and tradition that laid the foundation and defines who we are today as the world's premier Air Force. They developed a process to ensure we had a means of continuous process improvement through surveys. As the proud Air Fore legacy continues, however, things are a bit different today than in 1947.
Yes, things are different and surely you're contributing all this to technology, outsourcing, privatization and so forth, right? Why wouldn't you? That's what we've come to know and expect as the norm.
How many times have you heard "every voice counts?" How many surveys and customer comment forms have you filled out? Do you think your voice doesn't count?
Not so fast my friend. You, and people just like you, have had a direct impact on shaping what you and I share in today's Air Force. The reason we're not our father's Air Force is because we have changed. We've streamlined processes and trimmed the fat (more than 200,000 in Air Force personnel in 21 years). We've found better ways of doing things and, probably most importantly, we made sure our voices were heard.
The Air Force Climate Assessment Survey is an excellent way to make sure your voice gets heard. Have you ever heard "I don't know what I don't know" or "I only know what I know?" Air Force senior leadership relies heavily on your inputs to ensure we are constantly on the cutting edge with every available resource at our disposal. We only have to look to you. You are the tip of the sword, the cutting edge; you're on the front line every day making the mission happen. You're the expert. If you know of a better way of making the mission a success, you've got a great avenue of making your voice not only heard, but count by expressing your concern through the climate assessment which runs through Nov. 26.
As easy as it is to complain remember that anyone can do that. If you have an area you're displeased with, don't just point and click at the problem, explain what frustrates you and what you think would make the process better. Remember, anyone can complain and gripe about current conditions. You have to go beyond that and tell the people who can make a difference what you would change. Once you focus on specifics, then -- and only then -- will you give your senior leadership a sample of what you are experiencing. The Air Force you experience today is only possible because those before you have wanted to make it better by offering better ways of doing business through climate assessments. Who knows, by not voicing our concerns through past climate assessments, we might still be living in our father's Air Force.