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How well are you prepared?

  • Published
  • By Col. Michael Carrell
  • 305th Mission Support Group commander
McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. --  If word came down tonight to deploy, employ, or simply carry out your mission at McGuire AFB, how ready are you really? By "you," I mean yourself, your section, your flight, your squadron, your group and our wing. You may not have thought about readiness that way, but you should. 

We tend to measure readiness by how current our mobility folders are, which certainly is important. I'm more interested; however, in the questions we should privately be asking ourselves. These are hard-hitting questions and when we look in the mirror, we may not like the answers. Years ago, one of my military professors published what he called "academic food for thought," and I'd offer the following questions as professional food for thought. There are no clear academic "right' or "wrong" answers, but you will know, in fact -- you must come to grips with, whether or not you can live with the answers you give yourself. The questions range from personal readiness to unit preparedness at all levels. I'm sure very few of us can answer "yes" to all of them, myself included, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't reflect on how we can improve. 

On a personal note, how well are you physically prepared? Yes, you may have passed your last PT test, but do you have a regular regimen you are proud of or have you slid off of it? How are your eating and sleeping habits? Do you drink alcohol moderately even when you have a designated driver or don't need to drive? Have you developed yourself academically or professionally lately? What was the last book you read? After a long day at work, it can be tempting to sit down in front of the TV, but you should consider a great book instead, especially one that can prepare you for future challenges. Have you read any of the books on the Chief of Staff's reading list? When did you last take a course for college credit or personal and professional development? Have you taken any actions to develop yourself spiritually or have you only thought about it? Finally, have you devoted time to your family and friends lately? If your schedule is like mine -- it's hard to do, but it's just as important in our development as Airmen and leaders as anything else. Find the time for your loved ones! 

On the unit side, have you truly mastered the aspects of your job? If not (and most of us have not), what can you do to improve? What nagging issues do you keep meaning to get to? More importantly, has anyone in your unit suffered or been delayed in their development because you haven't gotten around to something? How are your sections and flights doing? Are they the top performers in your squadron? If not, what can you personally do to get them there? If so, consider sharing your knowledge or techniques with others in order to raise your squadron's overall performance. As leaders, we should ask ourselves, "If I was removed from my position for any reason, how would my flight, squadron or group perform?" Make no mistake -- your unit will continue to perform -- hopefully in the manner you've laid out as a leader. If not, it may be because you have not made your vision clear, not communicated your standards, or not made enough effort to develop your subordinates. Most of us have relatively short tenures in our positions or in our units. Part of your leadership responsibility includes how well you train and develop those who work for you. Likewise, we should strive to leave our units much better for those who come after us. You should also ask questions about your relationship to the unit you work for. For instance, "As a squadron, what does my group rely on me/us for? Where can the group or wing fail if we do not carry out X, Y, or Z?" 

These are a lot of questions to think about. I can tell you that I fall short in many, as there are only so many hours in each day. I'm committed to you and our wing to keep asking them of myself and striving to improve our performance. I hope you take a few minutes to reflect on your own readiness and answer truthfully, "How well are you prepared?"