CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- In order to achieve excellence, leaders at all levels must be fully committed to creating an environment where our Airmen can thrive. Officers, enlisted and civilians all have equal stake and responsibility when it comes to ensuring environments within their span of control are in line with established standards.
Each individual has a direct impact on the work center climate that creates the overall environment. The impact can be positive or negative and can be active or passive.
Here at Cannon, I believe there are four aspects that define our environment. First and foremost, we are professionals. We treat others with dignity and respect and ensure our interactions and working environments reflect our professional mindset. The words we speak and the things we display, reflect our professionalism and beliefs. We do not tolerate any type of hazing and harassment and we have the moral courage to intervene to ensure we maintain a professional atmosphere. On or off duty, we are professionals.
Second, we are supportive. We get to know our teammates personally and intervene to support when required whether the issue is medical, financial, disciplinary, physical fitness or any other personal issue. We accompany individuals to helping agencies when required and take an active role in helping our teammate get back to standard. Once resolved, we welcome individuals back to the team and follow-up for support. We are part of the solution - this is Air Force Special Operations Command family business.
Third, we are innovative. We look for ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness in our personal mission areas and seek improvements in quality of life for our Airmen and their families. We seek input from Airmen at all levels and push ideas up the chain of command so that resource decisions can be made at the appropriate levels. We don’t discourage the development and submission of innovative ideas.
Fourth, we are accountable. We hold ourselves accountable and hold our teammates accountable to meet and exceed standards. We do not walk past a problem; instead, we take an active role in correcting and fixing them. When we fall short, we take ownership and take steps to correct the issue so that we do not repeat it. We do not make excuses or lie to cover up. We do not tolerate passive bystanders that do not have the moral courage to get involved to correct standards. Holding individuals accountable is the highest form of dignity and respect. It takes courage. Rather than allow a teammate to fall short and fail, we hold them accountable so they can achieve excellence. When we ignore standards, we create an environment for our teammates to fail. When our teammates fail, we fail as a team.
Our success relies on teamwork and trust. Commitment to a professional, supportive, innovative and accountable environment will ensure we maintain an environment where our Air Commandos can thrive.