TOP STORY >>Career + family + (balance) = Success

By Senior Master Sgt. Ernest Brown
314th Operations Group acting superintendent

Is there a balance in your life between military duties and responsibilities, and that of taking care of your family? Which one comes first, commitment to service and country or commitment to home and family?

I know many who have struggled with this question but the answer is simple, though a little harder to achieve. Both are equally important.

Each and every one of us defines a successful career differently, but I would be willing to bet that most would say that setting a goal for and attaining a specific grade is a defining point. Here is where the dilemma starts. There are many who get so focused on promotions they lose sight of family.

It starts with missing your kid’s first football/baseball game or dance recital, and then escalates to birthdays and graduations. Before you know it, your children are off to college, married and have a family of their own.

You start missing your anniversary and spouse’s birthday. Sound familiar? If I’ve learned nothing else in my 27-plus years in the military it’s you have to have a balance and you must continue to check with your partners to make sure you still share the same goals and that plans for the future haven’t changed.

There’s nothing wrong with aspiring to attain the highest grade possible but don’t forget to take care of things at home. Take the time to talk, reflect and dream. When all is said and done, and you take off that uniform for the very last time, if you’re lucky, your family will be at your side to share in your accomplishments and to help you transition to life outside of the military. Lucky in the sense you haven’t lost them somewhere along the way because you lost sight of what is really important.

In my opinion you cannot have a truly successful career without balancing it equally with home and family. So take my advice, spend time with yours kids while they are still kids, and don’t take your family for granted.