An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

You can be what you want to be

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Kevin Lamberth
  • 2nd Air Refueling Squadron commander
MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, NJ. --  Twenty three years ago, as a young man, I would never have fathomed that I'd be where I am today. You see, I come from a small town in South Alabama where, for some, the biggest challenge of the day is deciding whether or not it's too windy to go fishing. It's a town that I truly love but at 18 years old, it was also a town that I couldn't wait to leave. I wanted to travel, see and experience new things, and meet new people. The Air Force sounded like a good idea at the time so I joined and went to basic training as a no striper. Now I begin the rest of the story. 

My first few years in the service were exhilarating, exciting, and I thoroughly enjoyed my enlisted time. One day, after I had earned a few stripes, I was fortunate to receive a quarterly award. My reward was a backseat ride in an F-4 Phantom. That day, as I slipped the surly bonds, I was hooked on flying, and I knew then the Air Force would be my life. 

But who was I kidding? I had no idea how to go about getting a commission and surely the Air Force would never allow a small town southern boy (far from a rocket scientist) like me to fly its ultra sophisticated machines. So, I set the dumb idea aside. 

Fortunately for me, though, I had great leadership that kept me focused. My enlisted and officer superiors must have seen something in me that I just couldn't see. They showed me the value of setting goals. They helped instill in me a sense of pride and confidence. They afforded me the opportunity for school. And they encouraged me to chase a dream. They helped me realize that I could turn that dumb idea into reality. 

It was years later that I eventually earned my degree. Along with it the Air Force granted me a commission and even allowed me to compete for my wings. These were things that at a young age I never thought possible. Now, over 20 years later I've been blessed with promotions to lieutenant colonel and the Air Force has even entrusted me with the command of a squadron (trust me, my childhood friends can't believe it either). 

I bet you're wondering what the moral of this story is. I'm not trying to promote myself as the poster boy of the Air Force, and I'm certain that we all have stories of how we got to where we are. But I think mine offers at least three pertinent lessons about life. 

One: Don't keep yourself down! You can be what you want to be by being all you can be. Set goals and then work hard to achieve those goals. When you do, set higher ones. Take it from me, your future in the Air Force really is limitless, but it's all up to you. You just have to want it bad enough, be willing to work for it, and before you know it, chances are you'll be exceeding even your own imagination. 

Two: Build your people up, don't keep them down. This one is mainly for supervisors and leaders. Allow your folks to blossom and foster an environment where they really can be all they can be. Take the role of mentor seriously and encourage them. You might just find a diamond in the rough. And remember this, your success as a leader is determined by the success of your subordinates. As tough as it was at times, I'm thankful for my leadership throughout the years who challenged me to better myself. 

Three: Education makes the impossible possible. We're all busy, and school can be tough and time consuming. However, education is what opens doors. Promotions are more competitive now than ever, for both officers and enlisted, and professional military education and advanced degrees have essentially become prerequisites for advancement. And that's not a bad thing. Education teaches us to think critically, to learn from the past en route to building a better future. It shows us new perspectives on life, and it just plain keeps the mind sharp. Like most of you, it is the foundation of my professional success. 

Ok, what's the moral of the story again? If you believe in yourself, work hard, with a little support and encouragement along the way and importantly, if you aggressively pursue education, you can be all you can be. This great Air Force affords opportunity like no other organization in the world. It provides a chance for upward mobility, the ability to realize your full potential, to blossom, and yes, to be what you want to be. It is a great way of life if you take advantage of all that it has to offer. 

Years ago, when I left my small town, I wasn't sure the Air Force was for me (especially that first night in basic). But after my F-4 ride, when I committed, I will tell you from the heart that I have never looked back, and I'm glad I stayed. It has presented me with a sense of challenge, reward, opportunity, great friends, and the pay isn't bad either. I'm sure I will eventually migrate back to my small town roots in Alabama but for now, I've still got goals to meet, work to do and another school to attend. How about you?