Be an owner Published Nov. 16, 2009 By Col. Russell Wilson 721st Mission Support Group commander CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN AIR FORCE STATION, Colo. -- I, like many of you I'm sure, am very proud to be in the Air Force; my Air Force, our Air Force. I include all those that have served and still remain affiliated, from civilians to contractors who offer a wealth of experience. Likewise, all you are about to read really does transcend service lines including various allies we are privileged to have here with us in Colorado Springs. Each of you brings valuable insight and offers significant contribution to the execution of our mission, which for the Air Force, is to fly, fight and win ... in air, space and cyberspace. All of us have a unique role in carrying out that mission across the spectrum of technical, administrative and operational functions. I know about now someone is thinking I am leading towards yet another tired dissertation extolling the virtues of our core values. I promise I'm not. If you're disappointed, I'm sorry; I'm just not that academic. And while I certainly don't want to diminish the importance of those three foundational values; Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do, if you'll bear with me, I want to touch upon an even more basic quality: ownership. So what do I mean by ownership? I think each of us can easily understand the importance of taking on ownership or responsibility for our actions. But what about our inactions? Albert Einstein, generally recognized as a pretty smart individual, once said "The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don't do anything about it." By volunteering and affiliating with the Air Force or your respected service, you are doing something to make the world a less dangerous place. But a quality I look for and admire in the folks I work with is truly taking an ownership in the Air Force. Those are the folks you see stop to pick up a piece of trash on the base, take the time to report a broken sprinkler head, a burnt out light or really put forth the effort and the heavy lifting necessary to improve processes and procedures. They regularly leave a place or organization better then when they arrived. These individuals are owners. An owner has invested themselves into something larger than themselves. They understand the value of their investment and will self sacrifice to maintain good repair. A renter often times will ignore problems and let them fester until they move on or until someone else intercedes. Either way corrections are then more demanding. The irony is some renters even write off their deposits, placing little value on themselves, their time, or their endeavors. If you really think about it, you like me can picture someone you consider an owner. In fact, if we're honest, we really are blessed with the number of folks in our ranks that truly do care and do take the time and effort to improve things around them. My challenge to you is not if you can picture yourself as an owner of our Air Force, but if you honestly think your friends, family, coworkers and wingmen picture you as an owner. As I stated, I'm proud to serve. A large measure of my pride comes from working, living and playing with Airmen capable of being such tremendous owners. Strive to be an owner.