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Have you become ‘one of them?’

  • Published
  • By Maj. Eric North
  • 325th Maintenance Squadron commander
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Long ago, in July 1984, I stepped off the "rotator" at Kadena AB, Japan as a young, newly enlisted jet engine mechanic not knowing what the next 15 months had in store for me.
As I took stock of my new work environment, I noticed something very interesting; there was an abundance of Airmen, several sergeants and staff sergeants, a few technical sergeants, four master sergeants, two seniors and one chief for the entire 140 person engine shop. As I was talking to my fellow Airmen, I inquired about the different personnel in the shop and the conversation quickly turned to the noncommissioned officers of the shop.

The Airmen would talk about the buck, staff and technical sergeants as being "one of them." We rarely talked about the top three because in those days they were godlike and "one of them," too. If you were lucky, you would catch a glimpse of the seniors or the chief walking the floor, talking to a technical or master sergeant to get status of engine components. I never fully understood what "one of them" really meant then, but now I am "one of them," and there is no turning back.

What does this mean? Well, it means the Air Force, the American public, and--most of all--my superiors, peers and subordinates are expecting me to rise to the occasion.
When I entered active duty in 1984, we had more than 650,000 Airmen in the Air Force. Today, we are moving towards less than half that number and we are putting increased responsibility on the junior ranks. In today's Air Force, senior airmen are now considered "one of them."

This is not a bad thing. By virtue of this label, these Airmen have just stepped into an elite group of professionals, who on a daily basis, are tasked with doing great things in all sorts of fields. You become "one of them" when you are put into a leadership and supervisory position and given the increased responsibility that goes along with it.
You are expected to lead and supervise anywhere from a few to several hundred people.

You are expected to ensure you have given your people the tools and resources necessary to perform their job. You are expected to make decisions that could affect the lives of many people in a section, flight, squadron or wing. You are expected to ensure good order and discipline are carried out in a fair and consistent manner. You make the "tough call" and stick with it.

Above all, you are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner, setting the example for others to follow and train the future "one of them" corps.

In today's Air Force, we are moving more responsibility to the lowest level. With that we are expecting more from Airmen at levels unheard of several years ago. Staying focused and true to your word is key in ensuring success as you move up the ranks. From my own personal experience being "one of them" becomes a daunting responsibility, but deep down it is a goal each of us should strive for during our military careers. I am proud to have become "one of them" and continually look forward to the challenges another day brings.

This country is blessed with having the greatest military in the world manned by the smartest, most professional and caring people America has to offer, and we are blessed to be a part of it.