Military teamwork: crucial to mission success Published Dec. 1, 2011 By Col. William D. Anderson 305th Air Mobility Wing Vice Commander JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- As members of the Air Force - regardless of officer, enlisted, 25 years of active-duty service or a first-term Airman - we all have at least one thing in common -- we all went through basic training. One of the fundamental purposes of basic training, as I remember it, was to break down your notion of individuality and instill you with a sense of the importance of teamwork. It sounds nefarious and anachronistic having to take the blame for what others did, or carrying someone else's rifle along with my own when they couldn't press on with it any longer during a run. I have a much better sense for the importance of teamwork now. I have even tried to instill it in my own children. Our family motto is, "there is no such thing as individual success or failure in the Anderson family." My children could also tell you that I am fond of saying, "no one is done until everyone is done." The simple fact of the matter is the nature of what we do in the military is too complicated for us to succeed alone. This can be a hard concept in a society where individualism is often prized above all else, but we don't have to sacrifice our individuality to form a good team. We do, however, need to subordinate our sense of individuality to the greater goals of the team. A team is composed of individuals and thrives on the talents and abilities they bring. Star players are always welcome on a team, so long as their contributions lift the team up and not just themselves. This is why a commander once told me you can always tell if you picked the right person for a below-the-zone or stripes-for-exceptional-performers promotion by the reaction of the squadron when it's announced. In a close-knit team, however, the adverse actions of an individual always reflect on and hamper the performance of the group. Suicides, driving under the influence, harassment and a wide array of disciplinary problems are performed by individuals, but they disproportionately afflict the team. Ironically, many times we hide problems or concerns from our teammates and don't get the help (mentoring, training, counseling, etc.) they would be happy to offer and would prevent us from negatively affecting the team and its work in a much more dramatic way in the future. Some people can't get comfortable with the fact we must rely on others for our own success. They don't belong in the military. The good part of learning to accept the importance of teamwork in our profession is you share in successes which far exceed your individual ability to effect. Each of you, for example, shares in the successes we have had in a myriad of contingency and relief operations over the last couple of years. You may not have seen the grateful faces of Japanese survivors receiving assistance, but you were part of Operation TOMODACHI. You may not have witnessed the celebrations in Libya after the fall of its brutal dictatorship, but you participated in Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR. In a very meaningful way, each of us, as members of the greatest team ever formed in the history of mankind, has had a role in preserving the freedom and values of our country. It may be easier to conceive if you are leading a convoy in Afghanistan or refueling a bomber going into Libya, but each of you can trace your role back to the trigger puller or the relief airlift or even the overall security of the nation. If it were not so, you wouldn't have been hired. This also means, whether you see it or not, when you give a half-hearted effort or allow others around you to do so, you have a negative effect on those same mission sets. It is too serious of an effort and too good of a team to not give it your best and expect the best of those around you. I, for one, am happy to be a part of such a great team. I can't imagine others I grew up with who now work in the private sector can claim such lofty accomplishments, either as individuals or as part of their corporate team, as I can. On occasion I've had the opportunity to be at or near the frontline delivering support or leading forces in combat zones. More often, however, I've played my part in a more indirect role. Either way, I've never had any doubts as to the importance of the work or me doing my job contributes to its ultimate success -- not as a second lieutenant, nor as a colonel. I like being part of a winning team and look forward to sharing in many more accomplishments with all of you.