What's wrong with the Air Force?

[Day Man]

Building Leaders, Advancing Integrity, Service Before Self, and Excellence in all we do.

BLAZE, our wing's moniker and cornerstone, was coined by Maj. Gen. Jack Catton, USAF, retired, when he was the 14th Flying Training Wing Commander in the late nineties. In search of a rally-cry, one the 14 FTW Airmen could get behind and identify with as a wing moniker, Gen. Catton ran a contest. He tasked Columbus Air Force Base Airmen to offer slogans for consideration. He selected BLAISE, for Building Leaders, Advancing Integrity, Service Before Self, and Excellence in all we do. When BLAISE was ceremoniously unfurled, Airmen shrugged their shoulders, looked at one another, and with a questioning voice asked, "Blasé?" Quickly realizing Blasé wasn't the rally-cry he was looking for, Gen. Catton went back to the drawing board and the wing ended up with BLAZE, for Building Leaders, Advancing Integrity, S[Z]ervice before S[Z]elf, and Excellence in all we do.

[Skitzo]

I thought that is what it meant and always laughed at the Z in turn for the S.

[f16wolfpack]

I am still perplexed, 14 years later...

[Cap-10]

It was actually spelled Blaise at first....even had the huge banner hung outside the main hangar.

That lasted a week.

Everyone read it as Blasé, as in unconcerned, nonchalant.

The S was changed to a Z, huge ass banner was reprinted, and BLAZE was born.

Cap-10

Edit: just saw day man's post...day late and a dollar short...story of my life.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Cap-10

[Liquid]

This guy spoke for about 20 mins at our Graduation Dinner at CBM as the Wing CC and used the term "ultimate sacrifice" at least a half dozen times. It was 2002 and the audience is filled with parents, grandparents, wives, girlfriends, young children... and this ass clown is talking about how he's sending us off to war and how some of us will likely give the "ultimate sacrifice"... over and over and over again! There were a few people actually crying! My brother was sitting next no me and we were laughing our asses off just because it was so ridiculous; my brother (who is not military) says, "Is this guy ######ing serious saying this shit to everyone's wives and parents?" I don't ever remember hearing anything bad about him at the time, but that was pretty bad for Graduation Dinner comments.

So no shit, I'm putting together some thoughts for an upcoming graduation speech at UPT. Didn't volunteer for the opportunity, was asked and agreed. What advice would you give to the 2nd Lts earning their wings in the next few months? Keep it clean, constructive and not too sarcastic. They haven't earned the right to be cynical yet. And their moms and fiancés will be there.

[hindsight2020]

So no shit, I'm putting together some thoughts for an upcoming graduation speech at UPT. Didn't volunteer for the opportunity, was asked and agreed. What advice would you give to the 2nd Lts earning their wings in the next few months? Keep it clean, constructive and not too sarcastic. They haven't earned the right to be cynical yet. And their moms and fiancés will be there.

Take care of each other, deployed or in garrison. Take advantage of every flying opportunity afforded to you. Like my old squadron commander told me when I asked him as a young CGO what participation he wanted out of me in the office: "Son, I want you to fly fly FLY!". Min run the qweep. Understand you're already doing more for the Country than 90% do. Take control of your training. And lastly, have a plan-B always in hand because in the end timing and luck takes care the rest, assignments and retention included. Take chances, don't look back.These are the best years of your life.

That's what I would say. Bonus points if you can keep yourself from uttering some bullshit about the one-way Core Values senior leadership is guilty of pandering with.

Good luck with the firings, Bob.

Edited February 1, 2014 by hindsight2020

[czecksikhs]

For at least six months after you show up to your first squadron, think about what you are going to say, say it to yourself, then shut the fack up.

[BONE WSO]

One of my previous WG/CC's used to tell us to take the "long view" of our service. "When you are older you will be able to look back and be proud of what you have accomplished. Don't just focus on the tough situations that are right in front of you. You will deal with some serious challenges but you can look back and know that you did something that matterered and that 99% of the US will never get a chance to do."

I still remember this when I am sick of the BS and want to get out.

[Swanee]

Shut up, stay in position and don't hit lead.

[Winchester]

Performance is the true measure of ability. Questions?

[BuddhaSixFour]

1) The key to being a great combat pilot is to believe in your own infallibility while retaining the ability to learn from mistakes*.

2) Seek to practice knowledgable aggression. Aggression without knowledge is recklessness. Knowledge without aggression is passivity**. Lacking both is pure weakness.***

<cynicism>

* - Which was the key to running a dictatorial regime in "1984". Compartmentalization... Doublespeak... Same difference.

** - But it does qualify you to prattle on about Air Power doctrine in the ACSC correspondence course materials.

*** - ORM is a good tool, but it should be used to build knowledge. Too many people let it become an excuse to lose their aggression. It should make you smarter and more aware so you can push harder, not turn you into a p***y.

</cynicism>

Edit: Spelling.

Edited February 1, 2014 by BuddhaSixFour

[pcola]

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

[ComingLeft]

Two rules for success:

1. No excuse for bad manners. Your attitude will determine your altitude in life.

2. Work hard. Good things happen. You never want to fail for not trying hard enough.

2a. It is a picture frame to fill, not a box to check.

[Tnkr]

Congratulations on completing pilot training. Now get cracking on your masters.

[Breckey]

1. Timing is everything

2. Better lucky then good

3. There is no justice

4. Always lawyer up

[ElLoco]

If I can't trust you to wear your uniform correctly, how can I trust you to..........

[Vetter]

Make it short. They have better things to be doing.

[raimius]

Short and funny is good for a graduation speech, in my mind.

Maybe a good war story about keeping priorities straight, seeing the big picture, or enjoying life would be good.

[Bender]

That's some decent starting materials...too bad 69% of are reading it as it's getting posted, eh?

Bendy

[Buddy Spike]

Never trust a fart, never waste a boner, and never pass up an opportunity to take a leak.

[Tonka]

You joined because you believe that it's the most amazing job in the history of jobs, that's true. Take time to enjoy that, seek the knowledge that makes you an expert in what you do, enjoy the walk to a dark aircraft on a dark field and the sunrise you see above the cloud deck while the masses below you curse the traffic on their drive to the desk job they've done for 30 years, realize that every person on that base you took off from is there to support you in your quest to slip the surely bounds and project that weapon in defense of freedom.

Initially you will blindly follow, trusting that you are part of a well oiled, flawless machine. But slowly, one by one, you will all realize the stark truth that there is no Santa Claus: a few or maybe many of the very people and positions you put faith in to make smart decision, take care of you, and blindly follow will wreck that trust. It will become obvious to you that the very institution you initially placed on top of the high ivory tower is populated with many individuals only after self-interests, self-promotion, and self-gratification. Top cover for making tough decisions in a time sensitive environment will be reduced to witch hunting, adherence to 6900 pages of AFIs, and Monday morning quarterbacking by idiots that read about how to effectuate combat off a cereal box written by other idiots not adapt enough to make tough decisions in a time sensitive environment... You will become sully, you will realize the truth, and the dark pit in your stomach will make you ill. Realize you are not alone, your maturity is expected, & you will soon have to make a few of the biggest decisions in you life. Mainly, do you still believe you have the most amazing job in the history of jobs and is retaining that job worth the toil on your life, family, and other priorities in life?

It sucks.

When you do hang it up, you will miss it, because you will quickly forget the bad and only remember the good. You will realize that for every douchnozzle there are a dozen amazing Americans that you would gladly trust with your life. And regardless of what you hear, every American is indebted to you for your service regardless if they would rather reduce you to a number in a spreadsheet or an inexplicable cost that could better be used for steaks for those unwilling to earn it.

But, the one thing you will always be able to control is your attitude, it will make all the difference in every situation you will face. Bloom where you are planted and don't let the bitterness of those around you affect the smile on your face when the gear comes up, the scarf whips back in the wind, and you leave the planet and all it's problems behind.

[Cap-10]

Family First - Dont fuck that up!

Do the ordinary things extraordinarily well.

In the absence of orders, figure out what the orders should have been and execute that!

Remind them that they have two ears but only one mouth. This means they would be wise to listen twice as much as they speak.

Cap-10

[Toro]

Never trust a fart, never waste a boner, and never pass up an opportunity to take a leak.

Short and funny is good for a graduation speech, in my mind.

Maybe a good war story about keeping priorities straight, seeing the big picture, or enjoying life would be good.

Seriously - take heed. Unless you have a riveting (combat) story, nobody wants to listen to you. Nobody is there for you - they are there for the kids about to walk across the stage, and if you use the opportunity to ramble about your own life and what you think they want to hear, you have lost. Stand up, say some amusing anecdotes, sit down, let the winging proceed. I've been to waaaaay to many graduations where the speaker had no sense of time and continue to talk well past everybody's time of useful consciousness.

[Gravedigger]

Abraham Lincoln once delivered a ten-sentence dedication speech that lasted just a few minutes. That speech followed a two-hour oration by the featured speaker, Mr. Emerson, that was to be the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln's are the only remarks that are remembered and valued by history.

[HU&W]

1. Watch a couple of high-rated TED talks and model your presentation (obviously not content) off of them.

2. Limit yourself to 15 minutes. (edited to add: don't necessarily use 15 minutes, but it's a good benchmark for attention spans. Make it long enough to give them the honor, respect, and dignity they deserve and not one second longer)

3. Make it personal to the graduates with a focus on their next assignment.

4. Include a well-told story with a situation that each graduate could picture themselves in (and later tell their parents "that could be me in a few months")

5. If you find yourself wandering, stop talking, pause, thank them and their families for their choice to serve with all the associated sacrifice, and sit down.

Edited February 1, 2014 by HU&W