Commentary: We need bad guys

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Todd Ramsey
  • 100th Civil Engineer Squadron first sergeant
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Hahn Air Base, West Germany, June 1987, Amn "X" had been in the fire station for about three months and he was not a stellar Airman by any stretch of the imagination.

His CDC volume review exercise scores were not great, he was behind on getting licensed on the trucks and his off duty antics were becoming the stuff of legend amongst his peers and of concern for his supervisor.

He was 19 years old, 5,000 miles away from mom and dad and the last things on his mind were CDCs, the job, and behaving in a manner befitting an Airman in the United States Air Force.

Had he continued down that path, his Air Force career would have been a very short one.

His epiphany came when his supervisor sat him down and had a very honest, frank feedback session with him. Of course this was back in the days before feedback was required so why did this NCO bother?

According to Amn "X's" peers it was because he was one of Satan's minor minions sent to earth to make their lives miserable. Of course this couldn't have been further from the truth.

He bothered because he cared.

He cared about his Airmen and recognized if his Airmen failed, the mission failed and the only way to get this Airman back on track was to be "the bad guy," point out a few hard truths and lay down the law.
OK, I admit it, Amn "X" was actually Amn Ramsey, and I was pretty steamed after our little chat. Let's face it, no one likes to be told they are screwing up or not meeting standards but, as the days went by and I cooled off, I realized my supervisor was right.

He didn't do it to make me feel bad or because he liked to crush young Airmen, he did it because it needed to be done and the responsibility was his and no one else's.
As I was thinking about the topic for this commentary I thought about the many conversations I've had with supervisors regarding their "problem" Airman.

I've heard it time and again, "Shirt, he/she just needs to go." My first question is always the same, "What have you done to fix the problem? Show me."

There is a lot of discussion today about putting integrity back in our performance evaluations, decoration system, and getting back to basics, but in order to succeed in these endeavors, we need "bad guys."

We need you to give that vitally important initial feedback. This is the linchpin to success because it gives your Airman clear guidance as to Air Force, squadron, and supervisor's standards and expectations. We need you to bring them back in line when they deviate from these standards and expectations and document your efforts.

We need you to correct that dress and appearance violation or customs and courtesies infraction on the spot and not let it go, assuming someone else will take care of it.

If you are willing to accept the little breeches of the rules what else are you going to let slide?

Twenty-three years after my not so stellar start in the Air Force, the lesson is still just as valid as it was back then. Sometimes you have to tell people things they don't want to hear.

I owe my career to Sergeant Joe Knighton who had the moral courage to be "the bad guy," do the right thing, and put me back on track. As Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. once said, "Those who fail to perform their duty by correcting small violations and in enforcing proper conduct are incapable of leading."