Hill Air Force Base Newspapers | 2010-08-19 | Page 2

COMMENTARY Hfflwn TIMES August 19, 2010 New Airmen's behavior a lesson in leadership Hilltop TIMES Wecklv Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Lee Carter... Standard-Examiner publisher Mary Lou Gorny Hilltop Times Editor Catherine McNally Hilltop Times x , Writer Lee Anne HenfleV Hilltop Times : , • Correspondent Deadlines: Editprial ahd news items are due by noon on the Friday prior to the Thursday print date. To submit news items e-mail hilltoptimMOstandard.net or call [phone]. For Classified Advertising, call [phone]. For Retail Advertising, call [phone]. '. , - The Hilltop Times is published by Ogden Publishing Corporation, 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 801-6254273 with story ideas or comments, or contact the editor, Mary Lou Gorny, at [e-mail] Call 801-625-4300 for Classified Advertising or 801-62S4388 for Retail Advertising. are disrespectful, lack discipline or are unmotivated. Personally, I don't understand. Our ut your hat on! PUT YOUR HAT ON force recruits the best NOW! of society. We haven't The senior non-commissioned ofdropped any recruiting ficer's voice sent chills through my boBy. standards and statistiWithout thinking, I checked myself to ensure cally our recruits have I was within standards. the highest Armed This was the start of an inside look into Services Vocational Air Force basic military training, where my Aptitude Battery test good friend, Master Sgt. John Stott, served Chief Master Sgt. Smith scores compared to as a military training instructor. It was day other services. In four of training and he was "pushing" his first flight. Forty-six trainees were beginning their short, we get the cream of the crop. This, coupled with the hard fact that our MTIs do transformation to become Airmen. Stott had the tough responsibility to lead that transfor- a fantastic job establishing a solid foundation to build upon, leads me to question why some mation. The surroundings haven't changed people have poor impressions of "today's Airmuch but the training certainly has. men." Pondering this, I reflected on a discusTrainees carrying their mock M-16s; mud sion I had during my visit. and sweat on their tired faces. The Airman's Shortly after Sgt. Stott told a trainee how Creed was posted in several areas, no doubt an obligation to memorize. Although only in to stand at attention, he made an interesting point. He stated that, without fail, flights day four, Stott's trainees recited our Creed begin to mirror their instructor; therefore, he without fail. Everywhere we went sounds always has to maintain a line of acceptable' of MTIs enforcing standards were heard ... development in action, one of the Air Force's conduct. He cannot let up on enforcement of standards, accept mediocrity, display a poor five priorities. attitude, a poor uniform, act unprofessional, How intimate a person is with each prioretc. In short, the members of his flight will ity varies but the majority of our force is develop into what they see. Does this relainvolved with our Airmen's development. I tionship exist beyond basic military training? was impressed with my visit; MTIs dedicate Absolutely! Is this where things go astray their lives to properly developing our future with 'today's Airmen," are they just mirrorAirmen. In my opinion, the MTIs produce ing their leadership? Frontline leaders are professional Airmen who are proud, comresponsible to continue the same high stanmitted, motivated and excited to be called dards and level of discipline that is instilled in an Airman. However, thiscontradicts many our Airmen. Sometimes, this isn't being done. statements often made by frontline superviMany of us remember our own transition sors. into our first unit. When I arrived at my first Often, I hear our mid-level leaders complain about "today's Airmen." They state they assignment, I called a buck sergeant "sir" BY CHIEF MASTER SGT. Amcus C. SMITH 388th Fighter Wing Command Chief P 777-7000 [e-mail] Report suspicious activity via the AFOSI EAGLE EYES program Dial: 777-3O56 / 3O57/ 3O58. Wstcb - Report - Protect Force Protection is Our Business - Everyone is a Sensor Phone numbers— The base agencies listed can be contacted directly if you have a complaint or a problem with tHeir services: Feel Fit at 50 and Beyond with a class, Thursday, Aug. 26,11 p.m. to noon, as another in the first steps to a healthier you! Call the Health and Welfness Center at [phone] to join the class. Flexibility and strength exercises, luncheon and a walk in the park are some of the content incorporated in the series of classes. An awards ceremony will end of the series of classes to mark your progress. THINK SAFETY Hill's Total 2010 DUIs: 30 Hill's Last DUI: Unit Involved: 75t& Seeuntfy Airmen Against Drinking and Driving provide rides when designated drivers are unavailable. Call 777-1111 to request a ride anytime. Hours of operation: Fridays-Saturdays 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. Sundays 9 p.m.-midnight. Security Forces 777-3056 24-hr. Crisis Information 777-3056 Force Support Squadron 777-4134 Base Restaurants 777-2043 Retirement/Compensation 777-6142 (dvifian) Equal Opportunity Office 777-5455 Employer Relations 777-7129 Military Pay 777-1851 When you call or send an e-mail, your comments be recorded and staffed through the agency responsible for action. Please give your supervisor and chain of command the opportunity to work with you in answering questions and solving problems before calling the Action Line. This will help me better serve your interests. Items of basewide interest will be published in the Hilltop Times. y Air Force Suggestion 777-6901 Program Hill Straight Talk 777-9696 IG Complaints 777-5305 (for appointment) IC Complaints 777-5361 : (after hours) Fraud, Waste or Abuse 777-5361 (recording) Loud Noise 1-877-885-9595 (complaint^ 75th Medical Group 777-4918 Civil Engineering 777-1856 Hill Pride Hotline [phone] Public Affairs 777-5333 Equality for all Military Housing....,„..,....: 825-9392 Maintenance Safety Office 777-3333 Safety Office Hotline..... [phone] Union 777-3257 AFOSI Narcotics Hotline [phone] Family Assistance Center 777-3090 (when octivoted) •[• •.- At first, service in the military was in segregated units for African Americans as shown in this black unit as it was assembled in a gymnasium.# BY MASTER SGT. JODI HATFIELD U.S. Air Force Ogden Air Logistics Center Historian Office T his month marks the 45th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It is fitting that we honor the legacy of those who helped make the law possible and exercise the right they fought hard to guarantee. Also, it is instructive to point out that U.S. military services helped to pave the way for such legislation by earlier providing civil rights to its members, especially following the second world war. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is considered to be the most successful piece of civil rights legislation ever adopted by Congress. It states that no person can be denied the right to vote on account of race or color. Making great strides in voters' rights, the act abolished literacy tests and poll taxes established soon after primarily blacks were to have been given the right to vote with the 15th Amendment, which Congress passed in 1869 and the president signed into law early the following year in 1870. • Surprisingly, for 95 years, while members of minority groups were free to fight and die for our country, they were usually denied the right to vote for or against the very people deciding what conflicts we, as a nation, should become party to. During that time, states had full responsibility for determining voter qualifications, which all too often, in effect, disqualified minority groups. In many ways, the military services were at the cutting edge in the struggle for racial equality. In World War II, this and was scolded. Till this day, similar exam-' pies happen. A new Airman reports to work, stands at modified parade rest, and the NCO or SNCO says, "relax, you don't need to do that," which immediately lowers their standards. We'd rather forget about the discipline and formalities because apparently thaf s how the "real; Air Force" operates. Today, some supervisors tend not to enforce standards and they accept mediocrity because they don't want to be too' hard. Some supervisors don't support members of their own unit. Many find themselves "too busy" to attend formal events and ceremonies. If our Airmen see they're not cared about, what makes you think they'll care about you? Tbday, many supervisors blatantly undermine core programs. Statements such : as "forget everything you learned in tech school" (or First Term Airman's Center or ' Airman Leadership School or Non-Commis- : sioned Officer's Academy), sends an inappropriate message. Today's seasoned supervi- l sors often complain about how the Air Force operates and don't fully accept the warrior ethos mindset. For younger Airmen, especially all that volunteered to serve after 9/11; it's the only Air Force they know, so they don't . understand why their leadership complains. These examples are not what we want our * Airmen mirroring. Whether or not you supervise Airmen, the image you project either sets the tone for success or is a detriment to effective operations. In the context of developing our Airmen, we can ill afford to project or accept an undisciplined, lackadaisical or uncaring force. How's your image? Bring credit and honor to the United States Air Force and take care of each other in all your actions. was very significant as all sorts of Americans were called to serve, and America generally was able to make a connection between the way minorities were being treated in this country while fighting for voting and civil rights, and the mistreatment of Jews in Germany. , President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 in 1948, which called for the armed forces to provide equality and opportunity for minority servicemen, a capstone of the Truman Civil Rights program, and a benchmark in the struggle for racial equality in the Armed Forces. The Defense Studies Series by the United States Army Center for Military History stated that minorities, particularly in the Army arid Air Force, constituted a significant segment of the military population, and as a result their abilities and well-being had a direct impact on the nation's Cold War defenses. Blacks, for example, represented ten percent of the country's manpower, and significantly influenced defense planning. The Secretary of Defense received the Air Force's integration plan on Jan. 6,1949. In it, the newly independent service planned to open all jobs in all fields to minorities, giving them equal rights based only ori the individual qualifications of the people and the needs of the service. Much effort followed in 1949 to win approval of the plan. The Defense Secretary's Equal Treatment and Opportunity Directive gained approval on May 11,1949. The integration of the armed forces was a momentous event in our military and national history; it represented a milestone in the development of the armed forces and the fulfillment of the democratic ideal. The existence of integrated rather than segregated armed forces is an important factor in our military establishment today. The experiences in World War II and the postwar pressures generated by the civil rights movement compelled all of the armed services to re-examine segregation practices. While there were differ- ' ences in the ways that the services moved toward integration, all were subject to the same demands, fears and prejudices and had the same need to use their resources in a more fair, rational and economical way. All ofthem reached the same conclusion: Traditional attitudes toward minorities must give way to democratic See HISTORY I page 3