MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- We’ve all heard people talk about those “good ‘ole days,” back when we were doing everything right. People were highly motivated and smarter than the troops these days. Most people have very fond memories of their past experiences in the military, myself included. But were we really better leaders, mentors and supervisors back then? Let me walk you through my first few months in our Air Force, I think you’ll see the good ‘ole days weren’t so good.
I was as green as any new troop could be, coming directly off the fishing boats of Maine into our U.S. Air Force. My life experiences were formed around a fishing community with little outside influence. After my short stint in San Antonio and technical school, I was off to Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Landing at San Francisco airport in 1979 was an experience I won’t soon forget. As I stood outside the airport terminal, waiting for a bus, I was met by these very strange people. They all wore orange robes, had less hair than me and were playing tambourines. I later found out they were “Moonies.” As I stood there, they tried to push flowers and pamphlets into the pockets of my well-manicured uniform. Some nerve, they also wanted money for their troubles. Remembering how my fellow fishermen handled most problems, I dropped my bag and swung at the closest person. I missed, and the Moonies left. Maybe a sponsor program could have saved me this trouble.
I boarded my bus, and off I went. I was dropped off at the base, and I made my way to my squadron — still no sponsor. A fellow Airman looked at the duty roster and found my name. I felt good knowing they at least knew I was coming. He dropped me off and said my room was on the second floor, first room to the right.
Off to meet my supervisor, I carried my duffle bag up the stairs, noticing a very strange smell. The closer I got to my room, the stronger it got. I think you can guess what it was; let’s just say in 1979 there wasn’t a urinalysis program.
I knocked on the door, no answer. Music was playing in the room so I thought they had not heard me. So, I banged on the door hard. The music stopped and a voice asked what I wanted. I was told “go across the street to the snake pit, I’ll meet you there.” I did as I was told.
About an hour later, two people dressed in shorts, t-shirts and flip flops tapped me on the shoulder. One asked, “Are you the one that banged on my door?” My initial impression of my supervisor wasn’t a good one. I think this event would fall into several categories, including poor leadership and mentorship.
During my first week on the job, at various times, I had a C-141 wing tip taxi over my head, a pressure hose hit me and dent an aircraft, and I watched an aircraft take off as its tire rolled down the runway. All the while, the only guidance I received was from my supervisor, who said, “Jeep, in case you didn’t know, that ain’t supposed to happen.”
So, does this kind of leadership, mentorship, sponsorship, training and supervisory attitude happen today?
Our Air Force has made constant improvements in almost every failure point I experienced in my early years. We take care of our most valuable resource — our troops — much better. Is there still work ahead? Of course, but don’t tell me about the “good ‘ole days,” they certainly weren’t that good for me.