COMMENTARY>>Practice the way you execute

By Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Brinkley
19th Airlift Wing Command Chief

As many of you read the paper today, our base will be celebrating the many awards received during our recent RODEO competition which took place at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. Winning trophies in areas of aviation, maintenance, support and aerial delivery is great; however, we must never forget these accolades capture the fact that Combat Airlift is being expertly executed daily.

You see, when we are fully engaged in the fight to maintain our way of life, as well as supporting our allies, we must practice the way we execute. Each day you show up to your duty section, it’s important to maintain this focus. Each task is important whether it’s here in Arkansas or overseas. Do you go about your daily activities with a sense of urgency or a sense of normalcy?

I can remember hearing of an interview of a college football player who made a game-winning catch and his response really stuck with me.

The reporter asked him why he wasn’t more excited about the catch he made. His response was “I do the same thing everyday in practice.” When you practice the way you execute, the stage may change, but the task is still the task.

So even though we won many trophies at RODEO, all this did was validate what we already knew. Simply stated: we have people who perform every day at an award-winning level, providing Combat Airlift and humanitarian relief around the world.

If all of us maintain the mindset of the football receiver and combat airlifter, then what seems extraordinary to others will continue to be the norm for us due to our focus and dedication.

We must continue to be a base of prime-time players, ready to dominate the opposition when our number gets called.

Remember: practice makes perfect. Combat Airlift!