TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- In the realm of military life, the day-to-day tasks often blur the extraordinary essence of what it means to serve. Amidst the paperwork, training drills, meetings and endless routines, it's easy to lose sight of the Core Values that define us as military members. Yet, beneath the surface of these mundane administrative tasks lies a profound truth: we are warriors, united by a commitment to selflessness and a willingness to put others before ourselves.
These truths were never more present to me than on a civilian flight returning to Oklahoma City from a command visit to Robins AFB, Georgia. Joining me on this flight was my partner in vision and execution, Air Force Sustainment Center Command Chief Master Sgt. Beth Ferrer.
Midway through this flight a fellow passenger stood up and immediately collapsed, landing face first in the aisle, initiating an in-flight medical emergency. Without hesitation, Chief Ferrer snapped back to her roots as an Air Force medic. At this moment, she was not the outstanding leader of the 40,000-personnel-strong Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) or managing the Intensive Care Ward at Balad Air Base, Iraq, at the height of fighting during Operation Iraqi Freedom, which she has done. At this moment, she had reverted to her true self, training kicked in, and she started rendering medical aid to a complete stranger just as she has done around the world thousands of times before.
At our core, military and civilian Airmen are driven by a sense of duty that transcends personal ambition. We are bound by an oath to serve our nation, to protect its people, and to uphold the values that define our way of life. This sense of duty is not just a job; it is a calling that requires us to make sacrifices daily. From the moment we don the uniform or take the civilian oath, we accept that our lives are no longer solely our own. We are part of something greater, a collective force dedicated to the greater good.
This commitment to selflessness manifests in countless ways. It is the Security Forces Airman who stands watch in the dead of night, ensuring the physical safety of people and equipment. It is the maintainer who meticulously cares for our aircraft, knowing that lives depend on their precision. It is the supply chain personnel working behind the scenes, ensuring the right parts get to the right people at the right time and the many others who forge readiness within AFSC daily.
These acts of selflessness are not confined to deployments and combat. In the quiet moments of daily life, we see them in the small, often overlooked actions that hold our community together, the bedrock of our strength and resilience.
In putting others before ourselves, we embody the very essence of leadership. True leadership is not about rank or position; it is about service. It is about recognizing that our greatest strength lies in our unity and our willingness to support one another. It is about understanding that the success of our mission depends not just on our individual skills but on our collective dedication to the well-being of our team.
As military and civilian Airmen, we are entrusted with a sacred responsibility. We are the guardians of our nation's freedom and the protectors of its future. This responsibility demands that we hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, service, and excellence. It requires us to constantly strive for excellence, not for personal gain, but for the benefit of those we serve.
By the time we had landed Chief Ferrer’s patient regained consciousness and it was determined that the situation was not life-threatening, but that does not dilute the significance of Chief Ferrer’s quick actions and follow through.
In the end, it is this unwavering commitment to others that defines us. Amid the routine and the extraordinary, the mundane and the heroic, we remain steadfast in our dedication to selfless service. It is this spirit that makes us more than Airmen; it makes us a brotherhood and sisterhood of servants, bound by a shared purpose and a common resolve.
Let us never forget the core of who we are. Let us honor the selfless actions that define our service, and let us continue to put others before ourselves, in all that we do.