PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Air Force prides itself on its ability to adapt to the constantly changing nature of warfare. Indeed, our technological innovations and intense training for our Airmen is second to none. We're told our most important weapons system is not the F-22 or the ICBM - it is our Airmen.
Our team is composed of individual Airmen, and those individuals' effectiveness in combat comes directly from their warrior ethos.
At this point, you may be thinking "this article doesn't apply to me since I don't consider myself a warrior," right? You can manipulate Microsoft Outlook or PowerPoint presentations with style and ease, but the parts inside your M-16 rifle are still called "thingies" and you stealthfully wear your body armor without plates. At a minimum, you just don't consider a (insert AFSC) to be anything resembling a warrior.
During the Cold War, Airmen in supporting or administrative career fields finding themselves on the front line of combat was unlikely.
Today, as the lines of battle are replaced with unpredictable, unconventional and explosive violence; all Airmen stand as either warriors or liabilities on the battlefield. Airmen who are aware of themselves as warriors have applied themselves to war fitness, teamwork, character development and leadership. In the modern climate, these preparations can mean the difference between mission accomplishment and failure.
According to the Defense Manpower Agency, 519 Airmen have been killed or wounded in action in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom since 2001. Many of these Airmen heroes were seated behind a computer one day but found themselves serving as gunners, drivers and convoy commanders the next day.
In preparation for my first deployment, I participated in Peterson's Deployment Ready Expeditionary Skills Training. Even with brief simulated combat in our beautiful Colorado weather, I gained a new respect for the fortitude of deployed Airmen who find themselves fighting in a full combat load in triple digit temperatures. These physical demands could not be asked of Airmen who are accountants, network administrators, medical professionals or maintainers - they can only be asked of warriors.
Airmen operating in today's dynamic battlefield across air, space and cyberspace who refuse to think of themselves as warriors are indeed obsolete weapons systems in need of an upgrade.
Your Warrior Ethos is your drive to develop and perform with competence, bearing and integrity as a leader. It is your courage in the face of adversity, and your commitment to our common mission. Your Warrior Ethos is the way your life reflects your oath of office or enlistment.
So what's the point of Warrior Ethos in the Year of Leadership? It's to remind us that we're all duty bound to develop in more than just our particular profession. We must strengthen our character and warrior skill set to protect the freedom of our country, and the lives of our fellow Airmen.
Warrior culture is OUR shared culture!