What's so "core" about core values Published March 30, 2009 By 2nd Lt. Jonathan Simmons 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Words like character and core values get thrown around a lot in today's Air Force, but what do they really mean? What is the importance of character and what is so "core" about core values? As the 21st Space Wing and Air Force Space Command focus on character in the Year of Leadership month of April, I think these are important questions to ask. Viewpoints on character are varied, but all I've seen have a common thread. Character is a moral quality, a source of strength and uniqueness, and a position of duty. So character is something that makes a person morally strong and uniquely qualified to hold an office of responsibility. This sounds a lot like what we know as Air Force Core Values. In fact, one of the very ancient definitions of character refers to an immovable mark on the soul or "core" of a person. Integrity, for example, is a mark that most of us recognize as being able to do the right thing whether anyone is looking or not. But let's consider the value of integrity in a more concrete context. In the civil engineering world, integrity is a quality of a structure that is strong, sound, complete and unimpaired. Think of how critical integrity is to a structure and then think of the Air Force as a structure and that will give you a clue of how important integrity is in our business. This strong, complete, and morally sound quality is something that we all should seek to develop in order to become Airmen of character. This applies on the fitness track, on every security post, on the EPR and OPR form, and in our relationships with our superiors and subordinates. In the same way that a single sub-standard building material or cracked supporting pylon can bring down the greatest building, one Airman without strong character can weaken the entire Air Force structure ... and that's what's so "core" about our Core Values. In thinking of character as an immovable mark, it's key to remember that as Airmen we are marked in many ways - we're marked on our sleeves, collars, above each breast pocket, and on our headgear. We're also marked in the public eye. These patches, stripes, badges and bars that we sew and pin on are a source of pride for us even though most of them change for us as we travel through our careers. How much more should we be proud of the marks that we place on the inside ... at our "core"? Those marks are called courage, honesty, and character. Character is also a source of uniqueness. I'd like to note that even though we all dress relatively the same, each Airman is unique ... like a fingerprint. Random House Dictionary defines character as the distinctive qualities that make one recognizable as a person differentiated from others. Like the unique fingerprints of our own hands, each Airman brings different strengths and weaknesses, stripes and colors to the fight ... and together we can fly, fight and win not only in the air, but further in space and everywhere in cyberspace. The character of each Airman gives our entire organization strength and integrity. (Editor's Note: This article is one of several highlighting the Air Force Space Command Year of Leadership and its focus character)