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Show Page 2a Fighter Country Commentary Follow the leader Teamwork breeds success By Col. Michael Koerner Operations Group Commander As members of the 388th team, we are all proud of the successes we have achieved an outstanding ORI, defense of United Nation's sanctions in Southwest Asia and support of the War on Drugs. No matter what the challenge, we always rise to the occasion and achieve first-claresults. Like any other successful organization our team is made up of highly motivated winners who accept nothing but the best However, what makes us a team is leadership. Leadership, up and down the chain, is the key factor which makes the 388th team the best of the best. We all have a direct impact on the actions and successes of our we each have or will have a wing leadership role and a stake in the action. Throughout my career, I have learned that there are five critical aspects of good leadership: selflessness, integrity, discipline, loyalty and dedication. Selflessness Selflessness is a concept which may seem too idealistic; however, outstanding organizations are directly tied to the degree of selfless leadership within the unit leaders who obvitheir unit and mission above ously put themselves; leaders that have a commitment to the squadron, wing, mission, Air Force, and country instead of only ss day-to-d- ay 'Without the trust and confidence of the people we work for and those who work for us, we can accomplish very little. " to their careers! Being committed to the unit and mission, and being a careerist are contradictory you cannot be both. Integrity Integrity is the cornerstone of all that we do. Without the trust and confidence of the people we work for, and those who work for us, we can accomplish very little. To meet the challenges we face today, we must be able to depend on each other to accomplish their task. Honesty is mandatory, even when the answer is unpleasant Excuses or alibis do not fix problems or provide a solid foundation on which to build. Integrity is easy to have when praising someone, but how often do we sacrifice integrity when we fail to enforce the basic standards of appearance and military courtesy, the basic tech-ordprocedures or give someone the honest criticism needed to improve their performance. Discipline Discipline is a vital element of leadership. Not only do we need the discipline to do what is right or what we are told, but we also must be leaders by example. It is of little value to quote the rules and policies if we don't adhere to those policies ourselves. Leadership, whether as a crew chief, section chief, or group commander, requires of your actions and emotions. We are expected to know and obey the rules, and our actions will set the tone er self-contr-ol CoL Michael J. Koerner Operations Group Commander no matter what the situation. If the rules or policies don't seem to make sense, then take some action to change the rules, policies or tech data. Failure to uphold the standards by omission is as bad as failure by commission. A leader's presence is always felt, no matter what the time or place. Loyalty A fourth element of leadership is loyalty. Loyalty is required up and down the chain of command. Loyalty is not blind obedience when the situation warrants, honest questioning is actually an act of loyalty. However, once the decision is made, it must be supported without question. No organization can function effectively without the total support of all its members. Leaders who are loyal to their people and the respect and loyalty they must have to make a strong, effective unit Dedication Finally, dedication is fundamental to leadership. We must dig deep into each situation to get to the basic elements and to resolve the problems. Become actively involved in your organization. Learn to know your their strengths and weakpeople nesses. Dedication requires that you get out from behind your desk and out on the flightline or into the ships. Don't make hasty decisions; gather all the facts and identify the root causes. Dedication will ensure you fix the problem, not just the symptoms. We must be dedicated to excellence, and have a commitment to to improve how we do business make it better, easier, less manpower intensive or more combat capable. To put it into often overused "quality" terms we must have a "commitment to Excellence." Selflessness, integrity, discipline, loyalty and dedication are the hallmarks which I watch and strive for as a leader and a member of the 388th team. I see each of these ingredients daily as our leadership, at all levels, successfully meets each challenge. Let's continue to make the 388th team the best of the best! Watch out: Stress potential danger for aircrew By Capt. Mike Pierson 27th Fighter Wing Public Affairs CANNON AFB, N.M. Air Force pilots have a lot in common with highly successful people in the civilian world, said the Air Force chief of aviation psychologists. But when the president of General Motors has a bad day, it probably won't kill him. Lt Col. Joyce Teters has seen firsthand the tragedy that can come when aircrew members are emotionally out of step. Since 1984, the aviation psychologist has worked closely with flying units. Today, she also helps accident investigators at the Air Force agency at Kirtland AFB, N.M. She visited Cannon recently to tell flyers a little about themselves and how to tell when they're getting behind the emotional power curve. She also spoke to spouses. "You guys are controllers," Teters told about 150 aircrew members gathered at the officers club, "not just in your aircraft, but at home too.." Flyers typically put emotional distance between themselves and their loved ones, she said. "You go TDY (emotionally) two weeks before you get in your jet to go. There is also a period of readjustment after a TDY that can lead to arguments, before you even leave the parking lot on the way home." Even at home aircrew members have a specific, methodical way of doing even simple chores like getting ready for work, she said. Interruptions in these daily routines, where an aircrew member feels out of control, can lead to stress, she said. This stress will often appear as changes in behavior. It's these changes that the spouse, supervisors and peers should see as warning signs. Communication within families can help stop problems before they start, she said. Leadership involvement is also important Leaders must do their best to honestly answer questions about the future, keep their families informed and control rumors. "Rumors only increase the stress level," said Teters. "It's important for supervisors to know their people well enough that they notice what's out of the ordinary," said Lt. Col. John Oleksey, 27th Fighter Wing chief of safety. "Even then, the signs are not always obvious." "You'll see the guy in your squadron who usually talks to you suddenly withdraw," Teters said. As one example of a behavior change. "If you ask, he'll never say something's wrong, he'll just say, 'I'm OFC I just haven't been sleeping the past two nights.' and it's always 'the past two nights.' Stress in the Air Force worries the flight psychologist "We're not seeing an increase in the number of mishaps, but we're seeing some devastating ones," she said. Teters said she's seeing more stress factors and indicators in the Air Force over the past three years. "We've seen some pretty significant changes in the mission of the Air Force," she said. "We train people for war, then expect them to do humanitarian missions as well" Teters hopes talks such as this will help prevent such tragedies. "Awareness is important Once you know what's happening to you and your spouse, it's not so mysterious." Most important, though, is for people to take care of themselves by getting enough exercise, good nutrition and relaxation. Fighter Country h adit.d. prepared and provided by the 388 Fighter Win Public Affairs Offic Submit editorial copy to: 388 FW7PA (Elk 120. Room 3) by the first Friday of the month for that month s issue. For more information, call the public affairs office at CoL Dan Dkk Commander, 388th Fighter Wing I at LC John J. Thomas 1 1 777-320- 0. Oxff Pu6fcA,Tcwt TSft. Dark J. Emat NCOtC. fUfeAflbH StaffWrtter AlCAlmee Crobon Editor mmiu Fighter Country is a supplement to the Hilftoo Times. rihlihH Kv a private firm in no way connected with the U.S.Air Force, under exclusive written contract with the Ogden ALC Public Affairs Office. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of Fighter Country are not necessarily the official views of, or Ae. Uth ner coktTex or olr H LT' of Defense or the Department of the photos are U.S.AW Fort, prerthe-ZiXeHiTr- r the Defense, h without regard to race, of the purchaser, user or patron. '' |