OCR Text |
Show Hilltop Times April 15, 1988. Secretary. CcorluccS ttoainiks troops return from exer in the field and ships and aircises craft squadrons return from deployments, it has long been customary to send messages of congratulations for a job well done. But in reflecting on the recent deployments of U.S. military forces to the Persian Gulf and Central America, as well as the continuing commitment of U.S. military forces overseas, there are some more important issues that merit our conLs sideration. From the earliest days of our republic, the U.S. military has stood ready to protect our nation's vital interests and underpin our diplomatic objectives around the world. Although the lesson has occasionally been forgotten, only to be relearned with some pain and great expense, it has been consistently recognized that in exercising a leadership role and looking out for our interests in a very dangerous and at times confusing world, military strength must undergird diplomacy. And so our military history has been enriched by great men like the Army's Marshall, the Navy's Burke, the Marines' Lejeune and the Air Force's Mitchell all of them great leaders who clearly understood the critical relationship of military and political strength. Today, the men and women of -- our military services are again called upon to undergird our political and diplomatic objectives, in addition to satisfying existing commitments in Europe and Asia; and here at home and at sea, events in the Persian Gulf and in Central America have required the extraordinary deployment of our military forces in support of our diplomatic objectives in these very important regions. In the Persian Gulf, all four services have joined together to execute very capably a mission as old as our nation the protection of ships flying America's flag. The Persian Gulf remains a dangerous place, but America's interests are more secure because of the quiet professionalism of our military forcesthere. More recently, the Army and Air Ds for job well ca Force responded very quickly to a rapidly developing situation in Central America. Events of the last two weeks have shown that America's willingness to help its friends carries a very strong and very important message. Our ability to exercise immediately our military capabilities results from having a clear understanding of purpose, modern equipment and rigorous individual and unit train-inCommitment to that purpose, immediate readiness to respond, thorough professional grasp of procedure and principle, and quiet execution of very difficult, dangerous missions this is what we have come to expect from our armed forces, and this is what you deliver. All too frequently the execution of timely, effective military operations in response to political and diplomatic objectives unleashes a flood of criticism. We hear all kinds of warnings: There is a danger of escalation, the executive lacks authority to take action, or someone might get hurt. Fortunately, you see it differently: Each mission is another opportunity gi dloinie for our military services to prove themselves eminently capable of ing a dangerous task well. What do- critics are wrong. Prompt action brought more stability, not less. In my view, there are several reasons for your success. You are well trained and ready. You are led at every level of the chain of command by leaders of the highest caliber, especially at the NCO and junior officer level. But perhaps the most important ingredient in your success is your basic sense of purpose, and commitment to defend the elemental principles of our republic the liberty and equality Americans enjoy. '; Whether you participated directly in these operations or serve our continuing commitment to freedom in some other capacity either near or far, you represent the highest ideals of our nation. We are proud of each of you. Well ; done. Frank Carlucci .. Secretary of Defense Get job done and promotion will come by Maj. David Air E. Muhleman University have a friend who, for many years, studied people we knew vying for promotion to colonel. He tried to find differences between those who were promoted and those who were not: He finally decided that there were five tracks to being promoted: The war here. These people fought the enemy and got shot at. These were the fighter pilots with Distinguished Flying Crosses and un-- v countable numbers of Air Medals. The general's assistant. These people were part of the general's inner circle. They went with the general wherever he went and got promoted whenever he said "promote." The special duty holder. These people came out of jobs in the White House, or the Air Staff, or worked with NASA or the United Nations, something super special. The Air Force expert. These people have been working in their specialties since day one. Everyone in their career field has heard of them and they were considered to be the Air Force expert in whatever field they were in. The hot seat. These are the people who are told by their commander that "this is their chance." They are told something akin to, "The last five people to hold this job all got promoted." The commander implies that those who can handle the hot seat for a year or two also stand a good chance of being promoted. Unfortunately, I believe my friend missed two factors which each of these people had in common before they entered one of the five tracks. The first was that each of these types did something to make their own luck. Every one of these people worked hard to get recognized by the general, or to make a name for themselves in their career areas, or to get pickedfor a White House job, or to fly the tough missions over the enemy. These people worked hard as junior officers to get into position to enter one of these tracks. Each of the tracks can be traced back to a captain who worked long hours, out of the limelight, and who was eventually recognized.' He earned his way through good performance and hard work. Gen. Charles Gabriel, former Air Force chief of staff, once said that promotions were earned through education, training and experience. You -learn how to be the best and then use it. Super- visors see that you are not just sitting back waiting for the big break, but are working for that chance. , '.. t V The result is that you are selected for an Air Staff assignment, or as a general's aide, or for a special duty. And that job leads to bigger and better jobs. The second factor my friend missed is that any job is the right job to start from. I contend that there is no job in the Air Force where you can't work hard and get recognized and then get into one of the five tracks. In his analysis of how to make colonel, my friend was looking too far ahead. He should have been looking at how to become the best at whatever he was doing and let promotion to colonel take care of itself. Today's Air Force leaders are trying to get young officers away from planning their entire careers and back to worrying about the present. In short, we need to quit worrying about which track leads to colonel and worry about our present jobs. We need to see that the path to colonel starts on the first day as a second lieu-- . . . . . Military child is special by Sgt. Mick Walsh Pet. 4, Air Force European Broadcasting Squadron . tenant. If you excel, youH be noticed and get a chance to be a general's aide or be the career field expert or fly missions over the enemy. We all should 'look at our current jobs and decide how to do tjhem better and let the promotion to colonel take care of itself . Editor's note: Major Muhleman is chief of Air Force Institute of Technology programs at Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Article courtesy of Air Force News Service. D t's the month of the military child and a lot of you are probably wondering what it is to be a military child. I don't mean you military children, but those of you who don't have any kids or were not military brats. So, in the spirit of the celebration of this unique youngster, I offer the following: A military child is... The kid on the school bus with the baseball hat from Korea, the nylon jacket from the Philipfrom West Germany. pines and the The only one in class who has lived in the same state as everyone they meet. The only new kid at school who thinks McDonald's is the next best thing to summer vacation. The kid who not only tells you what kind of plane is flying overhead, but also who the pilot . T-sh- irt is. The boy who always has the best ll because he brings in his Japanese swords, his German Oktoberfest steins and his d blowguns and bolo knives from the Philippines. The girl who all the other girls want to plav dolls with because she has an international Barbie doll collection. ',..!The kid who everyone wants to sit next to in geography because not only does she know where the countries are, but can describe virtually every inch of each place. The d who is writing this story. notes Sergeant Walsh is stationed at Iraklion AS, Greece. Article courtesy of Air Force show-and-te- Watch for kids Dear Editor: As sumrnertime nears, schooltime for the children is signaling -- an end. 'There' are a few things that we as drivers need to remember as children will be making their way to the parks, swimming pools and thetr best friend's sandbox during the middle of the day. We need to become better defensive drivers. It becomes our obliga-- " ' tion and duty to keep a vigilant watch for children entering the street in pursuit of an overthrown ball. It is our responsibility to watch for children who are walking down the road, swimming trunks under arm, and talking to their friends, oblivious to their present surroundings. Children are our greatest resource and with an idea of protec- tion, it behooves each of us to watch out for their safety. Carelessness on our part could end in tragedy. However, with adults who lend a nurturing eye, children can grow to even greater heights through the calm of summer months. I hope each of us can give our children the "brake" they need this summer as they enjoy their vacation from school. Summer student hand-carve- ex-ki- Cter's Newsservice. |