CHALRESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
"The Air Force is built on a heritage of heretics," proclaimed retired Lt. Gen. P.K. Carlton, former Air Force Surgeon General in a recent briefing. I have to admit at first I was a bit offended by his comment, he said them as if pinning a badge of honor on the chest of each of us listening. His words shocked me, but as he continued, the evidence he presented was overwhelming, the Air Force does, in fact, come from a long line of heretics. General Carlton is no exception, he not only lead the Air Force Medical Service, he transformed the medical readiness footprint from an old, slow giant to a smaller, lighter, faster medical asset that delivered state-of-the-art care to the war fighter in the field. His innovative concepts provided our wounded Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen superior care in a tent at the front lines, than most countries can provide in a fixed medical facility. However, like me, you may still be struggling with the word heretic. First, we need a more accurate definition of the word heretic. The American Heritage Dictionary defines heretic as "a person who hold unorthodox opinions." Now let's apply this definition to the evidence General Carlton presented. Consider Brig. Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell, the most famous and controversial figure in American air power history. His fight with the Navy climaxed with the dramatic bombing tests of 1921 and 1923 that sank several battleships, proving, at least to General Mitchell, that surface fleets were obsolete. His vision and leadership propelled the capabilities of air power forward. Gen. James "Jimmy" Doolittle was one of the pioneers (another word for heretic) of instrument flying and of advanced technology, while also being an outstanding combat leader, commanding the 12th, 15th, and 8th Air Forces during World War II. However, he is best remembered for successfully carrying out what everyone (especially the Japanese) though was impossible, the first carrier-based bomber attack on mainland Japan in 1942. Both these great aviation leaders had very unorthodox ideas and opinions, heretics in the truest sense of the word. Thankfully, they did not conform to the conventional wisdom of the day, and unlock the potential of this new capability called air power. Of all the branches of the Department of Defense, the Air Force is a standout when it comes to challenging the norm and pushing the envelope, but we are heretics not rebels. The distinction is clear, rebels resist or defy authority; heretics challenge the status quo with unorthodox or unconventional thought. It is this key difference that makes you either a criminal or a legend. If you reflect back on our unorthodox Air Force fathers, you will also see a passion for the mission as defined by their leadership. They may not have agreed on the path, but the heretics of the past always kept the purpose for being, the goal and the mission clearly in focus. Today's Air Force boasts the best educated, most technologically advanced force in the world. Our young Airmen have incredible resources, tools and endless sources of information at their disposal. Yet the one thing that will keep our Air Force on the cutting edge is not our technology or our resources, it is the next generation of heretics constantly asking the question: why? All in an endless pursuit of a better way to meet our demanding mission.