***image1***I care what our young Airmen think. So much so, that as I gathered ideas for this article, I made it a point to avoid a one-sided conversation from a commander. Instead, I polled 100 senior airmen and below in my unit and asked them three questions about leadership, our mission and retention. Their answers may or may not surprise you, but I felt it was important to share their perspective.
The first question I asked was, “What do you expect from your boss?” The most common answers were to be fair, supportive and appreciative of a job well done, lead by example, clearly understand our mission, be approachable and make training and career progression a priority.
I think the Airmen directly hit the target. They expect their leaders to be role models and mentors who are actively engaged in the mission. You may have heard these ideas in professional military education or other forums, but their importance rings true when you hear it straight from the troops.
The second question I asked was, “What’s the coolest part of your job?” To help qualify their answers, we are a combat communications squadron. Our mission is to deploy tactical comm gear anywhere in the world in support of peaceful and wartime operations.
One way we prepare for our mission is to send new members through a combat readiness course. During the course, we go to the field and train on lethal and non-lethal use of force, convoy procedures and base defense tactics.
The answers to my second question were that Airmen liked deploying all around the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism, participating as defenders and aggressors in the squadron’s combat readiness course, working with new technology and being a part of a mobile unit. Simply put, our Airmen enjoy supporting the mission. They feel a strong sense of pride and accomplishment in serving something greater than themselves.
My last question was, “If you intend to reenlist, why?” The Airmen responded that they liked the feelings of patriotism, honor and respect from being in the Air Force, they valued education, training and health benefits and they enjoyed the chance to travel.
A few answers came back that Airmen weren’t sure if they would reenlist, but their supervisors would play a big role in their decision. Leaders should understand we have a big responsibility. We’re shaping tomorrow’s force and grooming our replacements.
You can tell that our Airmen have high expectations for themselves and their supervisors. We owe them the best leadership because they are the very foundation of the world’s most powerful and respected Air Force. Airmen accomplish the mission today, and they’ll lead the Air Force tomorrow.
If you were wondering what our Airmen think, most of them have the right picture. Leaders, what are you thinking?
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***image1***I care what our young Airmen think. So much so, that as I gathered ideas for this article, I made it a point to avoid a one-sided conversation from a commander. Instead, I polled 100 senior airmen and below in my unit and asked them three questions about leadership, our mission and retention. Their answers may or may not surprise you, but I felt it was important to share their perspective.
The first question I asked was, “What do you expect from your boss?” The most common answers were to be fair, supportive and appreciative of a job well done, lead by example, clearly understand our mission, be approachable and make training and career progression a priority.
I think the Airmen directly hit the target. They expect their leaders to be role models and mentors who are actively engaged in the mission. You may have heard these ideas in professional military education or other forums, but their importance rings true when you hear it straight from the troops.
The second question I asked was, “What’s the coolest part of your job?” To help qualify their answers, we are a combat communications squadron. Our mission is to deploy tactical comm gear anywhere in the world in support of peaceful and wartime operations.
One way we prepare for our mission is to send new members through a combat readiness course. During the course, we go to the field and train on lethal and non-lethal use of force, convoy procedures and base defense tactics.
The answers to my second question were that Airmen liked deploying all around the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism, participating as defenders and aggressors in the squadron’s combat readiness course, working with new technology and being a part of a mobile unit. Simply put, our Airmen enjoy supporting the mission. They feel a strong sense of pride and accomplishment in serving something greater than themselves.
My last question was, “If you intend to reenlist, why?” The Airmen responded that they liked the feelings of patriotism, honor and respect from being in the Air Force, they valued education, training and health benefits and they enjoyed the chance to travel.
A few answers came back that Airmen weren’t sure if they would reenlist, but their supervisors would play a big role in their decision. Leaders should understand we have a big responsibility. We’re shaping tomorrow’s force and grooming our replacements.
You can tell that our Airmen have high expectations for themselves and their supervisors. We owe them the best leadership because they are the very foundation of the world’s most powerful and respected Air Force. Airmen accomplish the mission today, and they’ll lead the Air Force tomorrow.
If you were wondering what our Airmen think, most of them have the right picture. Leaders, what are you thinking?