There have been times in my life and career where I have sat in a professional development seminar or briefing, and the discussion is often made on what success looks like. Normally it is often given with the image example of the line that is not a continuous uphill progression, but rather a line which looks like a mountain scape, where peaks come and then downhills or valleys follow until you find the next uphill climb. The success comes from multiple trials and errors, but when you apply the lessons you’ve learned from those downtrends, you can be brought up to the next level.
The past month however, I came to think not only of this image of the struggle within the pursuit of success, but rather, the maze of life and our careers. There are some individuals who, from early on in their lives see the path forward, and pursue it, and maintain this path until they reach their “finish line”. For others however, we enter our maze of life and find a path to travel down until we find ourselves at our wall. Some of us, in our stubbornness, pride, or belief that this wall is a challenge in need of removal will try to break through the wall. We don’t want to accept the fact that the wall is there or believe we must knock it down. Perhaps this was meant to be, yet out of all the multiple times in my life when I tried to break down the walls, I failed. I spent a vast amount of time and energy to break through the wall and eventually had to turn around in the maze and find a new route to take.
The part about that, is that just because the route I initially took didn’t work out, doesn’t mean it was a lost cause. I now reflect and see the vast amount of knowledge, experience, and insight I’ve gained from taking that path. It allowed me to grow and learn along the way. I take a new path which has new twists and turns within it but am working through those challenges with additional skills and experience to rely on. I then find a new wall in this path, what then? I work to find the next route to take. The entire time through this journey of navigating through this maze I continue to pursue my end goal with passion and purpose. Each pathway bringing me new understanding and allowing me to grow as a person and leader.
If we had the aerial view from above at the very beginning, we could easily choose the “easiest route” to take. We could trace our way to the finish line we seek, but would we learn and grow? No… because it’s the struggle within the maze that builds us stronger, it’s the “walls” and “blockages” which becomes our harshest, but most valuable instructor. As Bruce Lee famously stated, “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one”
You may be someone currently in your maze, struggling to come to accept the fact that you’re facing a wall. You may be discouraged with where you find yourself; my challenge to you is the same that Dr. Henry Cloud discusses in his book, “Necessary Endings”, “Is it time for you to make a necessary ending?” Change can be very hard for people, especially when we have so much emotional energy or personal attachment invested in our career, our path within our maze. I would encourage everyone to reflect and ask yourself, “Perhaps I am standing at this wall, because I’ve learned everything I need, and it’s now my time to make a serious change, take a new direction, to move myself further in life through a new path.”
Don’t get lost in the maze, don’t be afraid to make a serious change, keep living life with your passion and purpose, but be flexible with the route you may have to take in order to reach that finish line.
In a recent visit with our DPH Ms. Jen Green, she posed a question that she has utilized in some counseling sessions throughout her career. “TJ… what is your biggest bitch, gripe, complaint right now?” There was a slight pause in the room as I pondered that question. I didn’t respond when she followed up with, “Now… if you had given me your top complaint, I’d tell you that you now have to do the complete opposite and work to defend, support, and encourage why that issue or situation should occur the way it is.” Now imagine how mentally, emotionally, and maybe even spiritually engaging that could be for us not just as military members but also as individuals.
“I don’t like the plan of attack we’re about to take!” Now… “Can you tell me all the reasons that plan is the best out of all the ones available?”
“I feel like we should have had pizza for dinner! But they decided to make soup and salad instead!.” Now, “Can you tell me why the soup and salad was the best overall option?”
“I don’t understand why the leadership has us all out here for a group physical training session! It’s a waste of my time!” Now… “Can you tell me, defend, and support why doing a group physical training session is actually a good leadership decision to make?”
This simple exercise is designed to help members see different and new perspectives and admit that sometimes our preferred choice may not be the best. We’ve let our emotional side of our brain overpower our analytical side, and we need to work to reset and rebalance the two out. (Easier said than done… I know)
This exercise, however, is one that Lt. Col Robert T. Frederick faced when working for General Eisenhower at the start of World War 2. The concept of a small tactical commando force to operate close to and behind enemy lines was simply impossible and should not be given much thought. Let alone, it was written to be a joint force initiative of 50% American Servicemen and 50% Canadian Servicemen. Lt. Col Frederick put his stamp of “reject” on it and moved on to his next project. However, it didn’t take long before he was called before the boss and informed, “Congratulations! You are now the Commander of the First Special Service Force (FSSF). Now go execute the mission!” A man who spent hours writing up why something could not work was now challenged to make it work. The FSSF, joint American and Canadian servicemen were so successful in killing and terrorizing the enemy that they became known as “The Black Devils.” The FSSF thrived with this new honor and maximized it by printing up their logo and leaving it either on the dead German soldiers they killed at night slipping through enemy lines. On the card they added the words, “Das diche ende kommt noch!” translated it means, “The end of you is yet to come!” Lt. Col General Robert Frederick not only terrified the enemy but won respect and honor from his men. When the unit disbanded, the men openly admitted in books and journals that it was one of the rare times they cried during the war, some saying “the saddest moment of my life.”
Major General Frederick finished his career with 8x Purple Hearts and is the most wounded soldier in WW2 history. He received these injuries by fighting on the front lines alongside his men. Last reported by the FSSF museum, he is additionally the most wounded General in US history. On 5 December 1984, the FSSF were honored by Army Special Forces as being its ancestral origin. Further, the FSSF would be a significant influence towards the inspiration in writing the Hollywood hit film “Inglorious Bastards.” The unit patch can be seen on Brad Pitt’s uniform in certain scenes
I am heartbroken for the people of Ukraine. The situation their nation and people are currently faced with is very devastating, to say the least. The videos we see coming out of the war zone are reminders for many and a wake-up call for many more individuals who have yet to see the horrors of war. As I sit and watch intently on the situation, we should realize some key points and help remind others of them as well.
Additionally, this war has provided an immediate assessment to the world on how cyber warfare was utilized in an initial attack. It is a new dawning age of warfare when cyber attacks attempt to cripple online systems while simultaneously launching a traditional conventional warfare attack. Both will be critical in analyzing and developing new standards of operations for the future of warfare.
Furthermore, this is the first-ever major warfare event that people 21 years old and under are experiencing for the first time. 9/11 is engraved upon the minds of those who witnessed it. Still, for many young individuals throughout the world, they now see, realize, and will begin to cope with the fact that there are nations and world leaders that still have evil within their hearts, minds, and souls. The youth will now see and understand the importance of their freedoms, liberties, and why an item such as the Second Amendment is critical to the fabric of American way of life and embedded in our culture.
Moreover, the incredible and inspirational spirit of the fighting Ukrainians who choose not to surrender should encourage us to take pride in our country. Strengthen our warrior spirits towards justice, peace, and vital importance towards the unity against evil as a nation. To see the courage of an everyday citizen walking up to a soldier, confronting him for the invasion of their homeland and telling them, “Place these sunflower seeds in your pocket! For when you day on our soil, and so you will, then a sunflower will grow where your body lay!” This is the spirit we should all have within us, willing to look evil in the face and not give in to the fear it hopes to bring us. The courage to hear the commands of the enemy demanding they surrender, but instead, they chose to release the rallying cry of a nation, “GO FUCK YOURSELF!” For a leader to see the light of escape from the conflict and without hesitation reply, “I do not need a ride, I need more ammunition!” That is what leadership looks and sounds like!
This historical event will crush the hearts of many, and it will destroy the lives of those who have already forever lost the ones they love. This war is here to remind us how important our military is. There is still evil in the world. The warrior spirit is needed just as much today as it has been in the past. Learn from the past so that you are not doomed to repeat it.
Leader-Ology: That is the hill you want to die on?
Today there are over 2 million + podcasts available. However, there has been one that has been my go-to. The Stacking Benjamin’s Show has lasted the longest because, after multiple episodes, I’ve come to really enjoy the personalities on it. Their focus is on personal finances and growing your individual wealth. Josh Bannerman is by far my favorite host on the podcast. He’s funny, knowledgeable, filled with common sense, and a veteran of the US Marines. When he gets heated up on a particular news article, he doesn’t hold back on his honest opinion, which can be pretty entertaining.
One phrase he has used over time that has stuck with me is, “That is the hill you want to die on!? Really!?” It has been one of my favorite phrases because it challenges me to look inward at myself and challenged my stance, “Why is this position so important to me?” “What am I really trying to accomplish?” “Is there a possibility that I could be wrong?” “What are my true intentions and desires?” There have been too many times in my life and career where my stubbornness, pride and my ego fueled my internal energy to not accept defeat or surrender. I had to be right, I had to have the chosen plan, and I had to prove that I was more intelligent than the others challenging me upon the hill.
Early on in my career I was so reluctant to compromise. In First Sergeant Academy “Change” was my lowest graded area when it came to my personal values. I hate change, especially when it is outside my control. Yet, I cannot escape the fact of, “Is that the hill you want to die on?” Over the past year I have found how beneficial it can be with learning to communicate and work towards compromises. I wish the younger SSgt Lombardi would have accepted this fact, but now MSgt Lombardi is quickly learning and applying the lessons.
These lessons can be applied throughout our lives. Creating a financial plan. Planning the next family vacation or holiday gathering. The thought of returning to college to finish a degree plan or maybe even dedicated towards starting a new business. We can have productive conversations to help us reach our desired outcomes. I want X in red, you want Z in blue, but we can achieve Y with some red and blue, and we both get a portion of what we want.
It was one of the first days within week one of four in my most recent military course. I was selected as the physical training leader. I was responsible for leading one training session for my group and logging all the data for our members participating in a fitness challenge. If you scanned the room, the typical person may pick out people they would assume as top participants in the challenge.
Over the course of the four weeks, I was surprised by what I found. The person I thought would be one of the least impactful was actually the person who was one of the strongest in every category and actually took first in the most miles produced. I found it quite interesting because I had members who would go out and run 8 or 6 miles at a time. Chuck was simply content but dedicated to 3 miles or 3.5 miles a day. He added 30 to 50 push-ups and sit-ups to his routine. At the end of the competition, Chuck was in the top three of participants in all three categories measured.
As I reflected on this, I began to develop a routine for myself. I started in a very similar fashion. Monday through Friday I was going to run, weight lift, read a book or listen to an audiobook or podcast, and then finally, try to write or work on a storyboard for a fictional book I’ve wanted to write for years. All too often, I’d get into this mentality that I didn’t have time for a run; I was sure of this because I had always felt I needed 30 minutes to ensure I got the run in. The fact of the matter was that I didn’t need 30 minutes for a run; I only needed 5, or 10, 15, 20, or however long I could get.
The power came in creating positive habits and building a system that challenged me to work towards accomplishing the act and not worry about the projected outcome. My mind was really drawn to this concept also by reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear at the same time Chuck was crushing his competition through a simple routine.
We spring forward now after 4 months and I am blown away with how my mental health and body respond when my routine is impacted. October, November, and December were great months for me. I quickly found that those 5 minute jogs turned into 20-30 minute runs. My reading wasn’t just 10 minutes on the car ride home from work, but instead an hour long audiobook session that went on while I also cooked dinner.
The fact is that our power is not generated from one single moment of an act but rather by building our strength through our routines. The dedication towards a consistent process allows us to build over time, and we reach our goals through increments. Our current generation, culture, society presses us towards an instant result. Still, the fact is that time, and capability require us towards the long-term working of success. The “I could never say $10,000” mentality needs to be broken down to, “can you save $27 a day?” or “$13.75 a day?” That allows you to reach your goal in 1 year or 2 years. We may feel that 1 year or 2 years is such a significant amount of time that it seems unobtainable or not worth the sacrifice. If we can be dedicated to establishing our routines, we can accomplish our goals and build our strengths for a stronger tomorrow. So what routine are you now going to begin incorporating in your life?
(UPDATE 1 MARCH) Here is a look at my routine for February. January I really struggled to maintain due to unforeseen circumstances. I didn’t tear myself down though, but continued to look forward towards re-engaging in the new month. Once you take a moment to reflect back on all you accomplished in the month, you realize how much you really achieved by just sticking to your routine and getting closer to your goals! Don’t give up, just get better!
The cheer would carry itself over the distance and the crowd of other parents in attendance, “Come on TJ you got this!” The next call would echo out, “Let’s go buddy!” A short, chubby, and completely out of shape TJ would slowly step up to the batters box of the little league field. My bat in tow, my batting helmet on, and my bright blue and orange Met’s uniform was in high contrast on the spring afternoon in Desert Hot Springs, CA.
I would step up to the plate, do one or two of those rotation swings to make me feel as if I was loosened up. The pitcher narrowed his eyes in to the catcher, and as we all did back then, we pretended we were on live TV, and this was the big game. The pitcher wound up and threw the ball as best as he could. “STRIKE” came the call. “It’s ok pal! You got this” Came the new cheer from my parents. I would gaze upward, “Maybe this will be my pitch” I’d think to myself. The pitcher wound up, another heater coming down the pipe just as if he was Hall of Fame’r Randy Johnson… “STRRRRIKE” came the call again. “Alright TJ, don’t worry this next one is yours!” My parents would yell out, clearly having far more faith in my abilities than I did. “Ok… Ok… This one, this one is mine!” I’d tell myself. The Pitcher knowing he had me against the wall and was about to cock back his rifle of an arm; which would then release the final round from his firing squad pitch. “Here it comes, here it comes, here it…” “STRIKE! You’re out son.” The umpire would mercilessly tell me.
And that process would continue on for most of my year in little league. I was given the award of “Most walked player” because I was so afraid of swinging that I got walked more times than I got on base from hitting the ball. In practice, aww man I was crushing balls and making monster outfield hits, but when it came to the real game, I simply didn’t have the courage to take the swing on the pitch that I really wanted to.
But that is also life sometimes isn’t it? We prepare, train, practice and get as ready as we can for a job, career, or opportunity, but we never take the swing at the ball. Self-doubt is something that many people struggle with; especially when we also surround ourselves with other people who have self-doubt. They discourage us from trying, or try to tear us down from the little bit of motivation that we do muster up. The simple fact is that you cant listen to the self-doubt, and you cant let those who are filled with self-doubt stop you from trying.
As the old saying goes, “You’re always going to have a no answer if you never ask the question.” Same goes for taking the first step of courage; you cant get a home-run unless you swing the bat, and don’t be afraid to swing away, sooner or later your rotation is going to come back around and you’ll be up to bat again to swing for the fences. So go crush your home run!
The phone began to ring on the other end of the line that early afternoon,
TSgt Brady Mueller
“Security Forces Training, Tech Sergeant Mueller.” Came the reply on the other end of the
line.
“Hey Tech Sergeant, this is Tech Sergeant Lombardi with the 173d Security Forces Squadron out in Klamath Falls, Oregon.”
“Well how’s it going sir?”
“It’s another day in Awesome’ville out here, how about you?”
A light hearted laugh came over the phone, “Awesome’ville! I like it! … Man we’re just plugging away at another day out here in Boise. Living the dream and enjoying life.”
“Hell’z yeah! That’s great to hear! Well… the reason I’m calling today. I have two of my DSG guys that keep pestering us for coming out to Boise and doing a joint Annual Training event, your squadron and mine. What do you think?”
There was a slight pause on the phone before the exhaled breath came across, “Yeah, your Master Sergeant called me the other day to ask about that… Do they realize how much planning and hours we’re gonna have to do to accomplish this idea?”
I then let out my own large breath before I continued, “No… I don’t think they do. But, that’s why there is us. If we start planning this now… A year in advanced, I think we might just be able to pull this stunt off.”
Another pause came across the phone. “Alright brother… Let’s go ahead and start working this. I will bring it up to my leadership here within the next week and we can simply start working it from there.”
“Sounds good Bro-Bro, I’ll do the same thing on my end, start working some concepts here and send them your way. We’ll just tag-team this thing till the end.”
The phone call ended, and my mind started grinding gears for how we would accomplish something that neither of our units had ever done before, working together, but also a large scale event of this magnitude that had not been done in almost 10 years for the 173 SFS.
The first thing I wanted to do however, was give it meaning… The name, the imagery, the concept… it had to have honor and heritage… it had to be there. I thought about one of our reoccurring events at Kingsley Field, “Sentry Eagle”. I went through multiple ideas using those power phrases known for military operations. Sentry, Thunder, Northern, Centurion, Guardian, Defender, Eagle, Badger, Warrior… no combination or concept seemed to stick.
I looked down at my KIA bracelet. “SSgt Travis L. Griffin… USAF KIA 4/3/2008” I sat there, wrapped my hand around the bracelet and squeezed it tighter against my wrist. “Man… Trav would love this type of event…” I thought to myself for a moment; my mind connected to Travis’s last name. “Griffin… two great creatures that were merged in to one. That is exactly what we’re trying to do here! Operation Mighty Griffin! Oregon and Idaho… 173 SFS and 124 SFS… This is our concept, and this is how were not only going to honor Travis but all 14 of our fallen family members.”
The crest came shortly after I had set my thoughts on Operation Mighty Griffin. Ensuring that I captured both units in a way that would always show the unity and teamwork we wanted to accomplish.
Over the next year we went through the training objectives / classes we wanted our CADRE to teach and instruct. We discussed over 35 different topic areas. In reality the entire Security Forces Training Catalog was on the table; and every topic seemed to be a great choice. Yet in the end, we simply had to limit items until we had a core foundation that we wanted to utilize for training our personnel. The overall training if taught down to the bare bone concepts and brought to full fruition would have needed multiple weeks of training to get them engrained with full force proficiency.
This is exactly the traditional issue that Air National Guard members are faced with. We don’t have weeks to train, we simply have a matter of days. Eight days to be exact. Eight days to provide the best training we could, and then get SF Defenders in to the field for a three day Field Training Exercise, (FTX).
FTX Plan of Events Meeting, 5 days before FTX kick-off.
Our operation was only able to be accomplished due to over 29 Security Force Defenders from two completely separate units working over 200+ hrs behind the scenes. Many of them never meeting their counter-part in person until the first day of training taking place. This also taking in to consideration the fact that over 37x separate units… Air Force, Air National Guard, Army National Guard, Marine Reserve, all had to be coordinated with, prior to mission launch. All throughout the event, one small change could not only be a major impact to one of those 37 other units, but could create an avalanche of impacts upon another one of the 37.
As we began our training courses, MSgt Matthew Quinlan reminded all of us. “Remember your audience… We have some brand new troops in our squads directly out of Technical Training Academy, and we are using some really big words, that even I sometimes get confused on… Don’t use $20 words for a $2 concept. We are teaching the basics to our guys, and keep it basic, simple and make sure they understand the concepts.”
SrA Jason D. Nathan
Leading up to the training, and triple checking my calendar, I knew we had one KIA Anniversary coming up, SrA Jason Nathan, KIA 23 Jun, 2007. Making sure we honored our fallen family members, we also wanted to make sure we continued to share stories of courage, honor, and perseverance.
We shared stories of Security Forces Defenders like Sgt Kimberling,
Sgt Kimberling
who would simply tell people, “I’m just a regular guy.” As MSgt Lambrecht would go on to say… “There are hundreds of stories like Sgt Kimberling in our career field… we need to make sure we keep sharing their stories and reminding our young SF Defenders about their stories.” Sgt Kimberling, a Bronze Star, Air Force Combat Action Medal, and Army Commendation Medal recipient, is the humble warrior that would simply say, “I will go… I will fight.” But at no time did he want a spotlight placed upon him.
As Lt. Annelise Rowe would remind our members, “Even a regular guy, can do extradorinaiy things.”
SSgt Jonathan Finer
As SSgt Jonathan Finer shared his story with members in training, “I’m passionate about 9-Line Medevacs, and want to make sure every single person knows how to call them in… it takes on a different meaning for some people when you have to call them in on your brothers whose only hope of survival is that helicopter getting to them as soon as possible.”
These Security Forces professionals set out to make sure Operation Mighty Griffin wasn’t some classroom experience where all you see are photos on a power point presentation. They coordinated air assets to match the real-world experiences they had all lived through in their military careers.
TSgt Adis Sisic
“I kid you not TJ… there we were on a mission when we got hit, and got hit hard… RPG’s, Machine Guns… we get on the radio and call out TIC, (Troops in Contact.).
I had no TACP/JTAC experience… I had never talked to an air asset before and called in an air strike. I was simply with my guys and knew that we needed Air Support as soon as possible.
As soon as I get on the radio to call for help, this voice comes across the radio waves and says, “This is the Polish Air Force, we’re on our way now! Where are you guys at?” We popped smoke to mark our location… and the next thing we see is this Polish Attack Helicopter comes screaming over the hillside next to us, and provided our overwatch and support as we regathered our forces once the firefight was over. Bad ass man, bad ass!”
A-10’s Call sign Tank-1 and Tank-2 doing simulated attack runs for the Op: Mighty Griffin members to see first hand what it looks like.
Coordinating with the 190th Fighter Squadron and the 168th General Support Aviation Battalion; Operation Mighty Griffin members got a first hand experience to have Emergency Close Air Support, (eCAS) from A-10 Warthogs but also UH-60 Black Hawks for a hands on 9-Line Medevac.
A fireteam prepares to carry their “Simulated” wounded team member on the Medevac after their trained RTO directly coordinated the pickup with the pilot.
As the last day of the FTX came to a close. We had one final major event to conduct. An award and recognition ceremony.
With all the squad members packed in to a stuffy classroom. We stood on stage, and started with reading off the title of the Award, the fallen SF Defender it was named after, recapped their story, and then explained why the member or team was selected.
As the members came up on stage they were handed off a piece of paper… colored toner printed across the sheet… and an engraved A-10 Anti-Tank round casing.
SrA Elisabeth Leonard shared it best on her social media page.
SrA Elisabeth Leonard’s social media post after receiving her award and recognition.
Though Travis was the one who inspired us to title our Annual Training, “Operation Mighty Griffin” We wanted to make sure that our Airmen always had something to carry each one of our fourteen fallen family members memories on with them. That we always honor them and keep their stories and memories alive and within us. Seeing posts like SrA Leonard’s, TSgt Jesus Guevara’s and many more was that validation that not only did we provide awesome training, but training with meaning… heritage… and honor. It wasn’t the colored paper that made it mean something… it was the name that was printed on that paper that means everything.
Our Security Forces Family
It wasn’t just training we accomplished, nor an award that was earned. It was a new extended family we gained. A group of men and women, that I am proud to call a part of my military family. When you can sit around a table with them, pour out your heart, with tears in your eyes, and know that they have your back. Through thick, and thin, in battle and once the firefights are all over with.
It is this extended family that made it all worth it. The long hours spent in the office by yourself late in to the night. The multiple phone calls and emails asking, and answering questions. The metric ton of stress on your shoulders, the sleepless nights… Was it worth it? EVERY FUCKING SECOND. Thanks to my new family in the 124th Security Forces Squadron. I love you guys, and will always have your back. This was Operation Mighty Griffin.
In leadership, you can become so personally attached to the process that depression, sadness, or even guilt can slowly be absorbed in to your heart and spirit. A few chapters back we talked about your followers best is only to be matched by giving your best. So where does the guilt, sadness, or even the depression come in to play? Because we all have bad days, we all get frustrated when we don’t see change within our structure, our work environment, our people, or maybe even ourselves. There are days that we will be at that point of questioning what is going on, and what am I doing wrong, why am I not seeing the changes and am I doing everything I can?
These are all questions that I would honestly say happen in everyone who truly has the heart and passion of leading people. You go through these motions of doubting your own efforts that you are so desperately wanting to give to your people.
Many companies and organizations all adopt mission statements, and their core values, or character traits that they promote throughout their whole business infrastructure. The military across the board all use value relatable to honor, service, and duty. The Air Force has one value that it always shoves at its members, “excellence in all you do.”
As a young military member, I was having one of those questions of how does someone contemplate excellence. My basic military training instructor then asked, “Are you able to obtain perfection.” I stood there attempting to contemplate the question and possible answers when they then concluded, “No. But it is in the pursuit of perfection that you find excellence.” The other military training instructor I had would say, “TJ, you need to do your job so well, that if someone is to ever come and inspect your work, that they have no doubt in your mind that you did your absolute best.”
As I continued to go throughout my military career I always had that mentality in mind and as that driving force internally, yet there was a void inside myself as to how do I know myself if I am giving my absolute best. It wasn’t until four years in to my career that I had a senior leader and mentor who looked at me and said, “TJ when you go home and look yourself in the mirror, are you able to tell yourself that you gave your best effort today? If you tell yourself you gave your best, then what more can I as your boss ask of you?”
That is a question that every single leader needs to ask themselves; but furthermore it is something that every person on the team can ask themselves. It is a self-reflection tool to help yourself assess how much effort you are truly giving your people and team. If you are ever in any doubt on the amount of effort that you are giving your people; stop, go in to a bathroom, look yourself in a mirror and ask yourself to your own face, “Did I give my absolute best effort to my people, our team, and even myself?” If you can say yes, then you can sleep at ease knowing you are giving your best.
Humility is by far one of the best character traits anyone can have. It is something that is very refreshing to see, feel, and experience when it is genuine and sincere. However, humility is something that can be very bland and unbearable to some people.
To remind us of this vital character trait; I want to remind you the definition.
Humility:
Noun: A modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.
Humble:
Adjective: Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance:
Verb: Lower (someone) in dignity or importance: “I knew he had humbled himself to ask for my help”
The antonyms to humility and its different variations are being proud, overbearing, boastful, or even having the sense of nobility over someone else. So where do we bring this all together and full circle? If you were to take my advice and become the humblest person on the planet and did amazing things, you could even lose credibility as a leader because you can be too modest or have to much of a low view of yourself. The humility that I speak of is never to replace the pride you should have in your abilities or in your successes as a business or military leader, but is your counter balancing weight that is always there to keep you grounded to reality.
Tim Duncan and Calvin Johnson are undoubtedly some of the best players in their sporting fields. Though I do not spend a large portion of my time following these players; what I would say is that every time I see them in an interview it is very clear that you can sense their humility by how they speak about their team. It is there that we see exactly the balance of professional self-pride and humility. They in their positions are a vital piece that they are self-aware of, yet their leadership is infused in always promoting the team they are surrounded by and dedicated to. We’ll see more of this concept in later chapters.
Master Chief Steve Nash has been a wonderful friend and mentor I have come to have in my life. Master Chief was one of the first fifty men who was selected to start one of the most elite fighting forces in military warfare. The United States Navy Seals have elevated themselves to the highest prestige of history throughout the scope of warfare. The way Master Chief Nash always described it was simply like this. “TJ, for us we never thought we were the best of the best. I simply was killing myself every day trying to be as good as Jim at running. But come to find out, Jim was trying to be as good at swimming as Tony, and Tony was trying to be as good at shooting weapons as Chris was. Every single one of us was trying to be not better than the others, but we simply wanted to be as good as them. We had respect for each other’s abilities and wanted to be performing at the same level as the other guy. That is how you build teamwork.”
One must always take pride in their work; it is what gives us the motivation to want to give our best and be our best. Humility is what reminds us of our first chapter. The fact that we ain’t shit, and always have room for improvement. It should keep us grounded in the reality that we are not able to achieve our accomplishments without the team that surrounds us. The place won’t look great unless our janitor is taking pride in their work. The secretary who answers the phone is vital to being your voice to the company when you’re not available. The accountant who keeps the books accurate and straight can give your management teams accurate assets available for projects. All of these things are what promote the environment that our team operates in, but also that our clients, our customers, even our competition relates to who we are as people.
For the vast amount of people who have worked for someone who’s ego arrived in a location before the person ever did; how did you feel working for them? Did you feel they were approachable? Did you feel as if they were willing to listen to you? You as an employee, as a worker, as a follower hate having a boss whose ego, or boastfulness is so high that it goes far beyond their pride. As a leader, you are there to give your expertise and knowledge to your people in order for them to grow, in order for them to make the team better, but if your ego is going to be filled with so much arrogance towards your own accomplishments; you could very well be a one-man shop that will eventually have a toll not just on your team, or business, but also yourself personally. Be humble and ensure you always know that you cannot accomplish anything without the team around you.
Chalk 1 and Chalk 2 loaded on to their respective KC-135 cargo transport aircraft. The 14 members of the 173 Security Forces Squadron members returning home alongside their 142 Security Forces Squadron brothers and sisters in arms, as well as forging a new bond with the 142 CERFP medical staff.
The 2019 Patriot South exercise kicked off in full swing on March 1st when Air National Guard and Army National Guard units all across the nation converged on Georgia for a simulated natural disaster recovery and response exercise.
After three days of classroom instruction and refresher training ranging from National Guard Policy 500-5, Medical Recovery and Response, to Crowd Control, the ORANG SFS and CERFP teams linked with their Georgia State Patrol, (GSP) Officers who acted as their On-Scene Law Enforcement Liaisons for the exercises.
The team was split in to two squads. Squad A and B was then paired with three to four GSP officers, as day one and two of the Patriot South exercises focused on Airfield Security Operations and Urban City Search and Rescue as well as Law Enforcement Mission Support.
The teams having to quickly unify with their GSP Law Enforcement counter parts, found ways around tactical communication differences, personnel utilization and multi-task challenges as each exercise inject was inspired by real world incidents scene across the nation and reported to the ANG Crisis Action Team at NGB headquarters during Domestic Operations and Humanitarian Mission Tasks Security Forces has faced in the past.
Day three culminated in a five staged, final crowd control scenario, where all role playing and responding personnel were utilized. The SFS, CERFP, and GSP put all their training and teamwork to use as smoke grenades, flash bangs, RBM stingball grenades, and FN303 Less-Than-Leathal rounds were utilized to maintain and restore law and order in the exercise scenario.
When the yellow colored smoke had faded away from the city streets and all the gear stowed away, the intermixed Oregon Air Gaurd stood proud when SFS Crisis Action Team Manager stated, “This team is by far the best Crowd Control Team we’ve ever seen at a Patriot South or Pateiot North exercise! They did outstanding, and it is clearly seen how quickly and unified they were with their GSP counterparts, and that is exactly what they will see in real world operations. We couldn’t be more happy to have this team of ANG members attend.”
Hugs, high fives, and contact information exchanged as new friendships emerged from the exercise, the ORANG members fly home with excitement to be returned to their families, but also knowing that they showcased who they are as a team, and what they are capable to bring to the table. When our National calls on us in a moment of crisis, the ORANG is able, willing, and ready, to answer the call and provide the care, comfort, and support needed to repair, restore, and heal communities.
Leaderistic 