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WASHINGTON — Incorporating extensive inputs from all ranks and career fields in the development effort, Airmen have selected “Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win” as the service’s motto.
An enduring statement of Airmen’s pride in their service, the motto is a two-part expression: a call to action with a response of commitment.
“The call and the response are two sides of the same coin,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. “Airmen indicated ‘Aim High’ and the response ‘Fly-Fight-Win’ as indicative of their enduring commitment to do just that in defense of our nation.”
When the Air Force motto team embarked on the project, they committed to Airmen to buy-in in an inclusive, well-researched effort, rooted in Air Force culture and identity.
“Airmen recognize a motto should represent something enduring,” General Schwartz said. “It must be bigger than any single person, something that gives voice to the pride of service of all who’ve worn this nation’s Air Force uniform — past, present and future.
“We took the time to try to get this right,” General Schwartz continued. “A service motto belongs to those who serve, and we’ve done our best to give voice to how Airmen feel about serving this nation.”
The chief master sergeant of the Air Force, the director of Air Force Public Affairs, the Air Force director of force management policy, and the commander of Air Force Recruiting Service provided the leadership oversight for the motto team research experts.
Early this year, the motto team engaged in almost nine months of hands-on research that began with extensive face-to-face meetings with nearly 300 total force Airmen from all job specialties and in every major command. Airmen described to the team what they thought it means to be an Airman, to serve and what is unique about the Air Force.
“The exhaustive research process showed that Airmen share a core set of identity concepts that serve as a basis for an Air Force motto,” said Gen. Stephen Lorenz, Air Education and Training Command commander. “No matter what career field they serve in, Airmen consistently told us they see themselves, and they see the heritage of the Air Force, as those entrusted by the nation to defend the modern, complex security domains — first air, then space and now cyberspace. Airmen take this sense of mission very seriously.”
An Air Force-wide survey to validate and quantify input from discussions indicated Airmen have a shared pride in their abilities to adapt to meet any threat, and they feel empowered to bring innovation and excellence to the mission of national defense.
After understanding the shared identity, the motto team began transforming words and concepts into a unifying, enduring and credible motto, said Lt. Col. Clark Groves, the lead scientist for the project.
“The research team held more meetings with nearly 250 Airmen on bases in each major command, discussing scores of identifying words and concepts tied to the core Airman identity,” he added.
“These discussions, information from Air Force historical archives, and input from total force Airmen, Air Force civilians, retired Airmen and the public provided the basis for identifying the ideal motto candidates,” he said.
That led to an Air Force-wide survey. Five potential mottos emerged and were presented at CORONA for final consideration.
“This really was a process grounded in inputs from Airmen,” Colonel Groves said. “We went Air Force wide four times, including face-to-face discussions at bases in every major command twice, and in two Air Force-wide surveys.”
“The data provided quality information on everything from accessions and retention, to diversity and broader Air Force cultural initiatives,” General Lorenz said.
Airmen can expect to gradually hear and see more of the motto as it is included in Air Force presentations, correspondence and products.
It will also be introduced in the coming year into basic training, professional military education, Reserve Officer Training Corps and U.S. Air Force Academy courses.
“This motto encompasses what Airmen say about what it means to serve in this great Air Force,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy. “‘Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win’ gives our service a new and lasting tradition for voicing our pride.”
The chief noted an important distinction between slogans and mottos.
“Slogans and ad phrases come and go, but a motto is meant to be passed from one generation of Airmen to another,” Chief Roy said. “This is for the hundreds of thousands of Airmen who now serve, who have served and who will serve in the future.”
(Courtesy of the Air Force News Service)
