Standards don't change - on duty or off

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Shannon Hall
  • 7th Bomb Wing public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do are core values that U.S. Air Force Airmen live by. Although these are important values for the Air Force, every base has their own principles that are essential to accomplishing the mission.

Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck, 7th Bomb Wing commander, has many priorities for Team Dyess, but pride, professionalism, policies and procedures are what he would like to see Airmen incorporating into their everyday lives.

"Everywhere I go, I am always under the microscope, whether it's on base or downtown," VanHerck said. "Therefore, I instill the meanings of these words into my way of life every single day and I expect the same from our Airmen."

By incorporating these principles into daily work routines Airmen can ensure they excel in all that they do, which ties into the Air Force core values.

"I think the general brought these to our attention because one is meaningless without the others," said Airman 1st Class Pesamino Mikaele, 7th Operations Support Squadron. "They all assist each other in helping Airmen cover the big picture of creating one of the top operative bases."

Although all four principles play an important role into accomplishing the mission, sometimes there is one that stands out more, whether it's because it needs more work or that Airmen are overly succeeding at it.

"Professionalism is the most important to me," said Senior Airman Damon Carroll, 7th Force Support Squadron. "We stand for the United States Air Force as a whole and the way one person is portrayed could tarnish the image of the entire Air Force."

"I would like to see more pride in the unit, in our country, our service and our base," VanHerck said. "Showing pride leads to dedication, teamwork and gets away from the individual aspect of everything. I feel our Airmen are achieving these principles, but there is always room for improvement."

It is every Airman's responsibility to hold his or her self, and each other accountable, to ensure their uniforms are within regulations, jobs are being completed correctly and in a timely manner, rules are being followed on and off base, and that necessary tasks and training are being accomplished in every unit. Don't be afraid to take the initiative and let Airmen know when they are in the wrong.

Airmen keep the base operational and pride can be reflected in that.

"Make sure the image of our base is being maintained by picking up any trash and handling small landscaping jobs around the squadrons," Carroll said.

Everyone in the Air Force makes one team and can be in the spotlight at any time, this alone makes professionalism important.

"When interacting with others on or off base, and no matter the rank, be professional and always remember your customs and courtesies," Mikaele said.

Following policies and procedures correctly can save the Air Force time and money.

"Knowing what is right and wrong and what policies and procedures are specifically governed for your job is important," Carroll said. "Everything needs to be done correctly, in a timely manner on the first attempt to save time and keep us from spending money to fix little problems."

"Having pride, being professional and following policies and procedures all play a key role in the success of today's military," Mikaele said. "Without these aspects we are not as strong as we could be. They make us try harder with the satisfaction of completing something that benefits a greater cause. What we are striving for is bigger than any individual and living by these principles reminds us of that every day."