Commentary: Charges, creeds and oaths -- Do we believe what we're saying?

  • Published
  • By Col. Creg D. Paulk
  • 100th Operations Group commander
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  An integral part of our Air Force culture is the recitation or affirmation of our beliefs and intentions through charges, creeds and oaths. I've got what could be an easy or not so easy question for you ... "Do you believe what you're saying?"

It's a great thrill for me to witness our noncommisioned officers and senior NCOs get new stripes every month at the Team Mildenhall promotion ceremony. There is always a leader from Team 5/6 and the Top 3 who reads a set of charges, a list of additional responsibilities, for the new NCOs and SNCOs.

Those new responsibilities come from Air Force Instruction 36-2618 and include such statements as:
 
" ... attain and maintain excellent physical conditioning, always meet Air Force fitness standards."

"NCOs should earn a Community College of the Air Force degree."

"SNCOs should complete their CCAF degree."

"SNCOs must secure and promote professional military education for themselves and subordinates."

When asked by the reader if they willingly accept these new responsibilities, without fail the new promotees respond with a resounding "I do!"

Do they really mean it?

Team Mildenhall currently has a PT failure rate of 20 percent under our current PFT regime and 38 percent when using the new regime slated to begin on July 1. We are all charged to "be physically fit to support the Air Force mission. Health benefits from an active lifestyle will increase productivity, optimize health, and decrease absenteeism while maintaining a higher level of readiness," by AFI 10-248.

Physical fitness is a critical component of our readiness and ability to perform the mission, not a factor we deal with on the side.

At the 2010 senior master sergeant promotion board, 22 percent of the master sergeants who met the board had not completed the SNCO Academy correspondence course. Another 28 percent had no CCAF degree.

The Air Force greatly values grade-appropriate Professional Military Education and off-duty education. Those types of education make us better Airmen of all ranks. Air Command & Staff College makes Majors better, just like the SNCOA makes master sergeants better, so the earlier you do them, the longer you, your subordinates and the Air Force benefit from your new knowledge.

In the end, sure, the individual loses out by failing to pursue excellent physical conditioning or academic education in the form of poor performance reports or even a missed promotion. However, the real losers are the subordinates of those officers and NCOs -- those we've entrusted them to mold and mentor. None of us has enough credibility to encourage or direct PT or educational endeavors while doing the opposite ourselves.

These two issues are just emblematic of a larger problem -- I could have easily discussed the NCO charge to "correct those who violate standards," The Airman's Creed or Oath of Office.

My concern is that we've reached a point where some of us may just blindly provide lip service to some heavy issues -- things that require a serious commitment in order to do justice to our promise.

In serving our country, we can't cherry pick those beliefs that we're willing to live out and throw the others away. That is as unacceptable as selectively employing technical orders, checklists and Air Force Instructions.

The heart of my question centers on the Core Value of "Integrity First," the price of admission into the Air Force. I challenge us all to pay close attention when we hear, repeat or read the charges, creeds and oaths that describe our level of commitment.

If you can't honestly say you're committed to them, then you're cheating yourself, your subordinates and your Air Force.

For the majority, I thank you for your service and dedication -- you remind me of something the Revolutionary War hero Admiral John Paul Jones once said. "I would lay down my life for America, but I cannot trifle with my honor."