My fellow Airmen and friends…. As I read yet two more articles discussing the issues with the nuclear force; it solidified for me an opinion that I have had for quite a while: WE AS NCO’s, Sr NCOs, AND LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS ARE FAILING!! We are failing our subordinates and supervisors alike and the American people in whom should have faith and confidence in our abilities to safely, securely and professionally conduct a mission with this magnitude of importance. We are failing to build and solidify a strong, well prepared, proficient NCO corps to replace us as our time in uniform draws to a close. -We are failing to make sure that up and coming young officers have confidence in the capabilities of our capabilities: craftsmanship, experience, judgment, and professionalism. --So as they climb through the ranks to become more Senior Officers the abilities and capabilities of the NCO Corps is indelibly marked in their memories. --Mentorship; has become a “catch-phrase” in performance reports, and award and decoration packages. --We should be mentoring our subordinates, young officers, and in some cases our supervisors who may have less experience or understanding than we gained through the years. Many of us are too worried about involvement in professional organizations, winning quarterly and annual awards, “career diversification” or career broadening/breadth of experience, and trying to gain a name for yourself in order to garner the EVER coveted “stratification” in the hopes of cracking the code for a GREAT BOARD score! --All too often we fall back on the RHIP moniker, leaving junior NCO’s and leaders in the Airman ranks to struggle and wander their way through the muck and mire and to find their own way in the world…versus providing true “mentorship” which our troops may not even know they need or want. They may not even be aware of the true benefit of your mentorship and advice and what it would do for them. --Why do we leave them wandering, like children lost in the wilderness? --Due to Selfishness— plain and simple, either to chase our own career goals, apathy or laziness. --Our subordinates watch this and MISTAKENLY believe that is what a Sr NCO is supposed to do… and when they are in that position or preparing themselves for that position they model the behavior they see, the example set for them…. --Which means their subordinates suffer… and the cycle continues! --Until ALL of our experienced folks who really know what it means to be an NCO/Sr NCO and not this politically correct, shell of what it formerly was—BUT REAL NCOs and Sr NCOs… We complain that decision making has been stripped from us, from our ranks, our positions. -We complain that we are micro-managed. --But what course of action have we left our Senior Leaders (at the Squadron, Group, Wing, NAF, MAJCOM and HAF levels)? --We do not engender the confidence; because we are all too consumed with our own promotions versus doing what is right, what is needed, or focusing on the development of our subordinates and ensuring they fully understand the mission, are fully capable of performing it, and are being developed professionally to be leaders and to take our places….. --We have swapped Awareness of what is going on with our subordinates for True proactivity or Being Engaged!! --We no longer hold the status we used to hold… --So, we are not taking care of the people or the mission---so what else to LEADERSHIP is there?! We have become top-rate administrators and managers; forsaking the mantle and privilege of being a leader and true leadership. So as an entity we are emasculated, castrated, and made a kinder, gentler—politically correct version of what NCO and Sr NCO leadership was and is intended to be. Only by recapturing our former selves as an entity will we correct these problems and have any hope of fixing the force! We need to stop being so preoccupied with ourselves, our stratification, awards and decorations—and making ourselves known to senior leadership through professional organizations….. we need to focus on being leaders, the development of our subordinates, and young officers…. We need to reclaim our status and position which has different meaning than what is used as RHIP now… We need to balance the needs of our people and the mission. Put service before self and strive for excellence; while training and encouraging our subordinates to do the same….We need to stop being APATHETIC, and stop confusing awareness for being proactively engaged!! --When the mission is taken care of, that is how we can and should differentiate ourselves from our peers and EARN our reputations with Senior Leaders and if that leads to a stratification and a promotion… then so be it!! As leaders we should be more knowledgeable of the job, the mission, the craft than that our subordinates! We should be masters of our crafts! -If masters of our craft, how can we train our subordinates? If our subordinates are more proficient than we are and have a better understanding of the skill-sets needed for mission success, then why do they need us? --We should continually be learning as much about our job, our mission and leadership—so we can ensure our own professional development and develop our subordinates! Finally, we NEED to hold our subordinates accountable for their actions. -In this age of troop reductions, there are many good troops who may be facing the prospect of separation… simply because their supervisor and others in their chain did not hold their peers accountable… so everyone got a firewall 5 rating on their EPR because it is easier to do so, than it is to conduct realistic, in depth, meaningful feedback…. Documenting poor performance and/or failure to adhere to standards and truly differentiate among the performance of their personnel which would help the AF as a whole distinguish the truly good Airmen. --Why is it easier said than done? Because it takes active, participatory leadership! --Not simply disengaged rank holders who are completely checked out, not tuned in: hiding under the auspices of RHIP! If you are not down with that---if you do not understand this, or if it angers you>>> You will probably get over it…. Or maybe you will not!! Either way, it does not change my assessment. Good Day… and Good Night to the true leaders that remain!!! ï
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 07:06:42 +0000
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