This OP-ED was published last week on the RAF Lakenheath website. It was written by Col Robert Novotny, the 48th Fighter Wing CC. I’m sharing it because it’s as refreshing as it is controversial. The reason it’s controversial is becuase we have a senior leader telling Airmen to focus in the mission. The Air Force has completely lost its way in recent years. Mission seems to be the last thing on anyone’s mind as they all scramble to do non-mission things in order to get promoted. There’s another reason I like this letter. It sounds like Col Novotny knows how to run a short meeting.
by Col. Robert Novotny
48th Fighter Wing Commander
3/15/2016 – ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England — There are three meetings I attend every week, and they’re the most important meetings in my current job.
The first is Wing Stand-Up, held three days a week, where we cover the status of our aircrew, pararescuemen, all 81 combat aircraft, the airfield, communications and logistics. Our mission is simple…Deliver Precise Combat Power from the Air, and Stand-Up sets the tone. This, my most important meeting, lasts about 20 minutes, except when we fold in weekly intelligence updates, which adds 10 more.
My second important meeting is the Newcomers Welcome, held every Tuesday morning. There are no slides. The Command Chief and I speak to all base newcomers for only 30 minutes. It’s important because everyone needs to “hear it from the horse’s mouth” about how important the Liberty Wing is to the National Security of the United States and NATO. We don’t talk about DUIs, reflective belts or policy letters. We talk about the mission of the wing.
The final important meeting is on Thursdays, when I have lunch with our First-Term Airmen Center, or FTAC, graduates. After a few days of base indoctrination and adjustment, the Command Chief and I eat lunch with the FTAC’ers to, again, “hear it from the horse’s mouth.” I talk for about 10 minutes, and the remaining 50-minute lunch is spent answering questions and dispelling rumors. I want them to know exactly how to make a good first impression and how their individual actions impact the wing’s mission.
During a recent FTAC lunch, I was asked a well-meant question by a young Airman, but, in the end, it was actually quite disappointing. Essentially, this Airman asked if there were any volunteer activities that the Chief and I could point him toward so he could highlight himself for Senior Airman Below-the-Zone consideration. Regrettably, this was not the first time I’d been asked a question about “extracurricular activities” that might be regarded for promotion or advancement. About half of his lunch-mate’s ears perked up, while the other half had expressions of disdain. I waited a few seconds to respond.
My answer was simple: “STOP! Wrap yourself in the mission, and become the ‘wolf.'” He looked at me confused, so I went on to explain. Volunteerism or extracurricular activities are exactly the things I am NOT looking for. Instead, I want this young American to dive, head-first, into their new job. Become the very best Airman: skilled, motivated, optimistic and aggressive about getting the mission done. In my opinion, raising your right hand at basic military training satisfies the volunteerism category for a good couple of years.
As a young pilot, I was consumed by my profession. I spent weekends in our vault, flying the little desktop trainer with classified copies of the tactics manuals open next to the machine. I read countless Weapons School papers and never passed up an opportunity to deploy with the squadron. While there were numerous pilots more talented than me, I would wager that I worked harder than the many of them. I also crushed my additional duty as the Chief of Squadron Training. If the Operations Officer gave me a task, it got done, quick. And suddenly, I became a go-to officer. Unknowingly, I became one of the ‘wolves.’
I told this young Airman about becoming the best in their flight, section, or squadron. The Airman who, when the squadron deploys, your name will be high on the list, because you know your craft, you work hard, you’re a good teammate, and, if there’s a crappy job to get done, the leadership can count on you to “git ‘er done.”
Harvey Keitel said in Pulp Fiction, “I’m Winston Wolfe. I solve problems.”
Without a doubt, your section chief or first sergeant has an additional duty or project that has command interest – like running the next retirement ceremony, leading the Air Force Assistance Fund campaign in the squadron or something like that. Those are important tasks that the commander needs to get done so he or she can continue to focus on the mission. Like flies that need to be swatted, the ‘wolf’ makes light of those tasks, alleviating the burden on the squadron.
Be the first Airman into upgrade training – the one who knows the tech orders and Air Force Instructions better than anyone. Always be willing to help with the toughest surgery, hardest broke jet, longest mission-planning session, rainiest guard posting, worst weekend shift or what have you. Be dependable, competent, efficient and aggressive. Understand how and where you fit into the wing’s mission and why your job is important. Finally, be the Airman who FINDS A WAY TO ‘YES.’
I firmly believe these ideas are being captured by our enlisted evaluation system changes. While the roll-out has been rocky, and we’re far from perfect, I am incredibly pleased with the change toward recognizing ‘wolves’ earlier. At Lakenheath, we’ve made changes to our quarterly awards, prioritizing mission accomplishment over the other categories. We are looking to identify and promote ‘wolves.’
Don’t get me wrong, volunteering because you have time and you genuinely want to volunteer is awesome. Events like our Annual Awards party, which 1,000 people attended, the Air Force Ball, with 950 attendees, the Maintenance Professional of the Year banquet, with 1,200 people in attendance, our 9/11 remembrance ceremony, and more, are made possible because of volunteers. But volunteering because you need to round-out an awards package is not what we need. Spend that extra time learning more about your job.
Wing commanders coin ‘wolves.’ Squadron Commanders promote ‘wolves’ to Senior Airman BTZ. There is no secret. It’s simple: Crush your job, be the best in your section, flight or squadron. Evolve into the ‘wolf’, and, I guarantee, you will find what you seek.
Bravo! Well said! Thanks for sharing SSD.
TLB
JFC!!!
I wish my commander would just let me do my job. Instead it’s a million and one other things that fall in, all more important than the next. Between hit lists, mandatory training (next big one being white privileges training or some crap), and silly ass flash changeover ceremonies. When the hell am I supposed to train my guys, myself, with the critical skills. It’s no wonder we have A 5% retention rate.
Sorry I saw a chance to rant, albeit a short one but hey good on that unit and their focus on the right stuff.
Tom,
If you are talking about the same flash changeover ceremony I think you are then I’ll be there too. Please come up and say hello. I won’t be hard to find. I’ll be standing with the old timers. I’d be glad to meet you. Maybe we can talk about your seemingly insurmountable training challenges and time management conflicts.
Who knows, I might be able to help you figure out how to find some extra time on the schedule. And maybe recommend ways you can improve that abysmal retention rate on your team. Hope to meet you there.
TLB
Terry,
I’ll be there in the old guy section, I’ll look for you.
Travis
Maybe I missed something, but what’s so controversial about Col. Novotny’s statements? All he said was that if you want to be promoted, be great at your job. Sounds pretty basic to me. If that ruffles anyone’s feathers, maybe they need to adjust their priorities.
please delete this comment. screwed up in adding PID that is not needed.
What’s controversial is that there are commands which will emphasize everything but mission accomplishment on that, and the way it’s presented implies (in many cases accurately) that leadership that doesn’t see it his way is doing a disservice to their airmen, officers, and the mission at hand… but instead of owning up to that, those examples will just flag the honest truth as ‘controversial’ and go on with being mediocre.
‘Crush your job’. Excellent.
At my current base the stratification of E6 and E5 went up to leadership…From there they said who is in a council leadership position (president, VP, treasurer etc.) and then who has a degree. Those two criteria gave the Must Promote and the Promote Now ratings. This is exactly what the new promotion system was trying to avoid and its already broken again. Dont get me wrong I do think changes needed to be made but is this the way to fix it… absolutely not. That is why what the Col Novotny said is so meaningful. He actually understands the changes that were intended and is implementing them correctly and efficiently.
Funny same thing happened where I’m from. No degree but maxed out on medals…..get to the back of the line. BTW not fluff medals.
As disappointed Col. Movotny may have been by the young Airman’s question, episodes like these do not occur in a vacuum. Someone or something caused this question to be asked and that needs to be addressed.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been in units that the farther they are away from being in country and having to actually do their wartime mission, the greater the emphasis is on anything else, but getting prepared to do the wartime mission.
It’s being caused by the corporate culture of the Air Force. Extras are rewarded over the job. You’ll see an NCO who is never at work due to college classes, volunteering and participating in an ever growing bureaucracy of clubs and committees promoted over the NCO that is in every deployment.
I recently picked up on one of the problems of the force. We are always told to find a mentor to help steer our career. I cannot remember once someone telling me to find a mentor to make me a better Airman or how to help the force!
The truth and nothing but the truth. Recently found out that I received a “promote” instead of “must promote” due to me not being involved in base organizations, but the three people they promoted ahead of me are in the 5/6 council, oh and have degrees, but the CSAF says morale is high in the AF.
This is exactly why 75K people volunteered to get out of the AF. Airmen are tired of getting shit on when some us of take our job seriously and are considered SMEs but take it up the ass in the end.
Surprising. In the raf, your competency at your primary role plays basically zero factor in promotion. I’ve got the assessment sheet the promotion boards use right here actually, it all comes down to extra stuff you’ve done in terms of ‘demonstrating leadership’ and other external activities. Seen many move up that were.. well, you can imagine; yet helped out with young cadets on every weekend they had so shot straight up to the JNCO level.
Sounds like the USAF. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Which is one of the reasons I left the RAF. Excelling at your actual job not required – being on a Mess committee or running the Sub-Aqua club, step this way to promotion. This, plus the patronage required to get promoted(the RAF could teach the Afghans a thing or two about the patronage needed to get up the greasy pole), helped me make my mind up to jump ship.
If those weekend shenanigans are equivalent to ours across the pond, it’s max face time with the Bosses, who thumb the scales.
Got called in to a Friday brief with the Sq CC quite a few hours after my shift this last weekend expecting the worst. He had us all sit and gave us a very similar speech about how job performance is king. Now I know my supervisor, the CC and I are all on the same page for volunteer bullets. It’s fine to volunteer, but do it for your own reasons.
Hopefully someone making decisions can make some big changes to point the USAF back to our missions; hopefully that gets rid of the morons busy playing the game, and keeps those of us who work hard to get the mission done. One can hope.
That’s key. Does no good if the 3rd Line Leader says, “A Prime Mover looks like this and this” while the 2nd and 1st line leadership are on their own programs…
British Army is the same. The dingbats that get promoted purely on their efforts as fun runners and diversity awareness now seem to outnumber the people you would actually want to follow into battle. Ive nothing against diversity, but a military organisation, thats supposed to be a meritocracy, is the fairest of all systems, a level playing field for all and advancement based on ability, not whos arse you kiss on the fairway.
Interesting and disheartening to see that this corporate cultural obsession of perceived image > actual value added is wider spread than I thought.
Interesting…
“Crush your job.” “Be the Wolf.” Awesome stuff!
I’d like to see read his leadership philosophy and guidance to leaders.
But more importantly does he live what he says. I’ve known and met many leaders that say fantastic stuff, are charismatic and inspirational but in the end are the same careerists lacking moral courage that plague the service. If they aren’t the source of the BS they facilitate it in the “get along to move along” dance. This is why we have a multitude of training distractors, leadership by checklist and a social experiment instead of an armed force focused on being that…
Damn that just made my day and nice to know there’s a few good O’s out there for you guys in the AF..
Even now as a civilian shit like that just swells the chest in pride.. Bravo Zulu Sir.
WOW!! Where was this commander when I was in?? Such a simple idea really, do your job and do it better than everyone else. Those who do, will be rewarded for their knowledge and dedication to the AF and their respective AFSCs. Leave the volunteering to the spouses and significant others. Service members have dedicated their lives to the mission, whatever it may be. Let’s give them the tools needed, both mentally and physically. Our nation depends on it.