TOP STORY >>Taking care of Airmen

By Lt. Col. Al Fitts
314th Operations Support Squadron commander

Today’s Airmen are truly our nation’s treasure, and I am proud to have the opportunity to lead and to serve along side them.
Over the years, the leadership advice I have been given most often has been, “Take care of your Airmen.” In the military we have come up with catchy slogans such as “Mission First, People Always” to describe the leader’s desire to achieve a perfect balance between getting the job done and taking care of personnel.

This advice seems simple enough, but in reality it can be difficult to do. So, what does taking care of Airmen mean to me?
Simply put, taking care of Airmen means creating a disciplined environment where they can learn and grow. Supervisors must treat folks fairly, refuse to cut corners, share in their hardships and set the example at all times. We must hold the Airmen we supervise to high standards, and provide them the training to do their jobs so they can function in peace and win in war.
Taking care of Airmen also means taking care of their families.

The unit and family relationship should be a partnership. An effective way for leaders to build this partnership is by developing a climate throughout the chain of command that encourages individual Airmen to put their families first. By putting families first I do not imply the mission should suffer as a result.

To the contrary, a unit with this type of climate is one where leaders and co-workers clearly recognize the importance and legitimacy of family needs and rally together when issues arise to ensure the mission gets done. Airmen who feel their leadership and co-workers care about them and their family will be much more likely to commit themselves to the unit’s goals and missions.

Throughout my career I have had the honor and privilege to lead Airmen, both in and out of the cockpit. They continue to excel everyday in hot spots around the globe because they have confidence in themselves, their buddies, their leaders, their equipment and their training.

There are leaders in every unit of Team Little Rock who are taking great care of our Airmen every day.
No matter what your rank, it is a responsibility we all share. Let’s do it!