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Show T Tilltop 2 TIMES COMMENTARY April 17, 2014 4:* Goals: How many of us have them? Hilito TIMES Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Charles Horton Standard-Examiner publisher Mitch Shaw Hilltop Times Writer Sarah Stoll Hilltop Times Correspondent Dana Rimington Hilltop Times Correspondent Deadlines: Editorial and news items are due by noon on the Friday prior to the Thursday print date. To submit news items email75abw.pa@us.af.mil or call 801-777-1902. For Classified Advertising, call 801-625-4300. For Retail Advertising, call 801-625-4388. The Hilltop Times is published by Ogden Publishing Corp., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under, and in compliance with, a Memorandum of Understanding with Hill Air Force Base. The content of the Hilltop Times does not necessarily represent the views of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Hill Air Force Base (collectively, the Government). The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Government of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Standard-Examiner, 332 Standard Way, Ogden, Utah, 84404. Additional editorial content is provided by various military and civilian wire services and Hill Air Force Base public affairs departments. Call 801-777-1902 with story ideas or comments, or email 75abw.pa@us.af.mil . Call 801-625-4300 for Classified Advertising or 801-6254388 for Retail Advertising. ¥ Ik ilij( HAWC Nest Fitness Tip from the Health and Wellness Center It is never too late to quit tobacco products. Smoking causes serious health hazards. It's bad for your heart, lungs, brain and appearances. QUIT TODAY. You can afford to quit smoking. Call 7771215 for assistance. THINK SAFETY Hill's Total 2014 DUls: 3 Hill's Last DUI: 7/61,144 /6 Unit Involved: 3rga Nalateactoce 94(140 Airmen Against Drinking and Driving provide rides when designated drivers are unavailable. BY TECH. SGT. DEERICK GRAY 387th Air Expeditionary Group S OUTHWEST ASIA — Have you set goals for your future? According to dictionary. corn, "a goal is the result or achievement toward which effort is directed." Goals can be short or long-term, personal, professional, spiritual or physical, and are usually specific to a person or group. According to Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, you are 42 percent more likely to reach a goal by writing it down. In short, a goal that is not written down is just a thought. On my first and second deployments I had no strategy for setting goals. For my third deployment, I bought a journal and wrote down my goals and plans to make them a reality. As a result, I completed three online college courses and earned two Community College of the Air Force degrees. I also completed several hours of professional development, became debt free and most importantly, effectively managed my time. I achieved more on my third deployment than my first two combined. When setting goals, you must make sure they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely, or S.M.A.R.T. A specific goal has a greater chance of being accomplished and allows for strategic planning. A measurable goal establishes concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal set. You should set milestones to track progress and make corrections as needed. To ensure goals are attainable, you must When setting goals, you must make sure they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely, or S.M.A.R.T. A specific goal has a greater chance of being accomplished and allows for strategic planning. A measurable goal establishes concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal set. 4 TECH. SGT. DEERICK GRAY 387th Air Expeditionary Group figure out the best route to take to achieve your goals. The Professional Development Guide describes this as the planning phase. You are the best person to determine if a goal is realistic based on your abilities. For instance, a goal of losing 50 pounds in 30 days is not realistic. To ensure your goal is timely, have a reasonable completion date and adhere to the checkpoints set. If these steps are skipped, you will easily get off track. As the individual setting the goal, you should also make sure that it is known to people who can assist in achievement. For example, if your goal is to make senior airman below the zone, it is probably a good idea to let your supervisor know your intentions. Making your goal known shows your motivation to live the core value of excellence. Can you really be "excellent in all you do," if you do not set goals to become excellent? Also, setting and achieving goals gives you confidence to set greater milestones and achieve them. Setting goals is an important aspect of life that has been proven time and time again. My current goal is to earn my bachelor's degree in accounting by 2016. One of the milestones I set was the completion of four classes during this deployment. I am well on the way to accomplishing that milestone. Knowing my strengths and weaknesses has made accomplishing this easier. It is never too late in life or on a deployment to set goals. So again I pose the question, "How many of you have goals?" We all have to start somewhere; I will see you at the finish line. The emotionless leader: Trusted and respected by Airmen BY CHIEF MASTER SGT. TIMOTHY BROWN 65th Communications Squadron LAJES FIELD, Azores — "I don't want to hurt her career." "He's the best NCO I've got. I don't want to see him lose a stripe." How many times have you heard someone in a leadership position make statements such as these when contemplating disciplinary actions when an Airman or NCO makes a terrible decision? Whether because of an individual getting a DUI, failing multiple PT tests or abusing the government credit card, more often than not, emotions creep into the ramification decision making process. To make effective judgments, leaders must put personal emotions aside and make the tough decision to discipline an Airman. When leaders make the tough call, they maintain good order and discipline, earn trust and respect, and uphold our core values. While our core values are ingrained into our way of life, what they mean may differ slightly from Airman to Airman. Typically when asked what 'service before self' means, Airmen give the proverbial answer, "well, I put my Air Force job before my personal desires." While that is partially true, 'service before self' also means making decisions that are in the Air Force's best interest instead of making decisions that ease emotional pain. Our core values are more than the minimum standards by which we live; they assist us in getting the mission accomplished. To achieve that mission, we must develop our Airmen, not coddle them. Leaders strive to enrich and mentor their Airmen at every turn. Guidance is provided by using "good order and discipline," but when leaders allow emotions to slip into disciplinary decisions, good order dissipates. According to Freek Vermeulen, author and associate profes- A\PJJ'` sor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the London Business School, "it's common for smart leaders to make bad decisions — and most of the time, emotions are to blame." When decisions are made based on one's own personal feelings instead of basing them on the facts at hand, good order and discipline is lost. For example, when an Airman makes a grave choice and breaks a law, should his or her lapse in judgment adversely affect their career? Typically, squadron leadership makes that call. If subordinates see punitive decisions that are influenced more by emotions than facts, good order and discipline will become strained and confidence in leadership abilities will be lost. To be a trusted and respected leader in today's Air Force, one must understand that in a 'glass house' every decision and overall leadership ability is constantly scrutinized by Airmen. Some decisions are small and innocuous, while others are more important: they affect lives and families. Inevitably, leadership mistakes are made along the way. One of the easiest ways to gain respect is to remain consistent when making decisions and remove any personal biases when making the tough calls. Making life-changing decisions is often the hardest part of being a leader. To soften the blow to your own psyche, always do what's right, not what "feels" right. Often times, when a hard line is taken, the offender is less likely to repeat the act and others in the unit are less likely to make the same bad decision. Therefore, when making uncomfortable decisions, put personal emotions aside, uphold our core values, maintain good order and discipline and become the trusted and respected leader you strive to be. The next time one of those phrases creep into your mind, remember you didn't make the bad decision, the Airman did. Art). Report suspicious activity via the AFOSI EAGLE EYES program Dial: 777-3056 / 3057/ 3058. Watch — Report — Protect a Sensor Force Protection is Our Business — Everyone is Security Forces 24-hr, Crisis Information Force Support Squadron Base Restaurants Retirement/Compensation (civilian) Equal Opportunity Office Employer Relations Military Pay Civilian Pay Air Force Suggestion Civil Engineering 777-1856 777-3056 Program 777-3056 Hill Straight Tall( 777-9696 Public Affairs 777-5333 777-4134 IG Complaints ............ .............. 777-5305 Military Housing 825-9392 777-2043 (for appointment) Maintenance 777-6142 IG Complaints 777-5361 Safety Office 777-3333 586-9300 Safety Office Hotline (after hours) 777-5361 Sexual Assault Response 777-1985 777-5455 Fraud, Waste or Abuse 777-7129 (recording) Coordinator (or) 777 1964 777-3257 777-1851 Loud Noise 1-877-885-9595 Union 777-6246 (complaints) 777-1852 AFOSI Narcotics Hotline 777.4918 Family Readiness Center 777-4681 777-6901 75th Medical Group - (when activated) SUICIDE PREVENTION ASSISTANCE Mental Health Clinic 777-7909 Chaplain 777-2106 Military OneSource (800) 342-9647 National Suicide (800) 273-8255 Prevention Line TriWest Crisis Line (866) 284-3743 TriWest Behavioral (866) 651-4970 Health Contact Center EAP (800) 222-0364 777-1163 Occupational Medicine Services Wingman Advocates 777-2255 Call 777-1111 to request a ride anytime. _Hours of operation: Fridays-Saturdays 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. Sundays 9 p.m.-midnight. 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