It may only take a simple note Published Jan. 6, 2009 By Chief Master Sgt. John Gillette 305th Air Mobility Wing command chief McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- A few months ago I was having dinner with a chief at a graduation banquet, and he was telling me about his master's degree thesis on Air Force awards. I will spare you the details of his thesis, but what was interesting was how he became interested in this topic. It turns out his unit received the results of their unit climate survey, and his Airmen felt they did not receive enough recognition. Sound familiar? If you've been around the Air Force for any length of time, this is a common concern for our Airmen. Well to correct this concern, he set to work developing an elaborate, and from what I heard, and complicated team award program to recognize more Airmen. It sounded like a great program, and the approach that most of us would have taken, but I would argue that it is not recognition your Airmen desire as much as it is your appreciation for their work and commitment. How could anyone want more recognition is my question? We're flooded with awards: monthly awards, quarterly awards, yearly awards, functional awards, special awards and the list goes on. Our Airmen are high performers who do amazing things every day. Some leaders believe this is all in a days work and no special recognition is needed. Don't make this mistake! Let me offer you a couple of ideas on how to show your appreciation to your Airmen. Our awards system only touches a small portion of our Airmen, and only for specific achievements, but you will touch many more Airmen if you use a couple of the below suggestions. Don't underestimate the power of the pen. Many years ago as a young staff sergeant, I received a handwritten note from a well respected senior master sergeant in my career field. He had come to help with a troublesome aircraft, and as he was departing he paused long enough to pen a note highlighting all the good things he saw during his visit. It was a simple note, one page with carefully selected words, and was very thoughtful ... I still have that note. Write a short thank you note or note of congratulations to mark a major accomplishment in your Airmen's lives. A note to congratulate them on their recent promotion or award shows them you care. They know how busy you are, but you still took a few minutes to put down a few words of appreciation for their deeds ... this simple act will mean a lot to them. If you really want to make an impact, write a letter to your Airmen's parents. An award or promotion can be the trigger, but don't let that limit your reason for sending a letter. As stated earlier, our Airmen do amazing things everyday -- maybe that is the reason you send a letter. Tell them about their son or daughter's recent accomplishments, how they contribute to the Air Force's mission and how appreciative we are to them for entrusting us with their most prized possession. When I was a young Airman, my parents received a similar letter announcing an award I had just received. My parents still have that letter as if I just received a gold star on one of my grade school papers. Believe me; moms never get tired of hearing how well their son or daughter is doing. E-mail your deployed Airmen during the holidays, their birthday, anniversary or just to see how they are doing. This past Thanksgiving, I sent nearly 200 personal e-mails to our deployed Airmen wishing them a happy holiday and thanking them for their service. Some said they had not heard from anyone from McGuire since they deployed, and they were truly grateful that someone from home was still thinking of them. These are just a few of the ways you can show your appreciation to your Airmen. If you want to learn more on how to recognize and appreciate your Airmen, get a copy of James M. Kouzes' and Barry Z. Posner's book, Encouraging the Heart. It is a great book that offers numerous ways for you to expand your recognition arsenal.