An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Kindergarten rules apply to today's Air Force

  • Published
  • By Col. Scott Davis
  • 325th Fighter Wing vice commander
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Have you ever read, "Everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten?" It's a list of very simple rules. Although they seem to be overly simplistic, I argue these rules can be applied to our modern day Air Force.

There are several of them, but three of the ones I think are the best include:

- Clean up your own mess

- When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together

- Play fair

They basically mirror the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated.

As every Airman knows, one of our core values is Integrity First. I imagine practically every aspect of integrity has been written about already, but I want to take this opportunity to hopefully put a new spin on it.

Integrity goes beyond its basic definition of "adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character." It goes to the heart of who we are as an organization, and how we are defined by the 'outside world.'

The Global War on Terror has put the intense spotlight on our military from every aspect, from 24-hour media coverage to high-profile courts-martial to the death toll in Iraq to how the war affects our political machine. Now more than ever, we need to ensure we strive to keep all our core values at the forefront of our daily mission.

OK...so how does the Integrity core value tie into the Golden Rule and what I learned in Kindergarten?

Let's start with Kindergarten Rule #1: Clean up your own mess. To a 5-year old, it means exactly that--if you've played with something, put it away. My own Air Force interpretation is this: If you've made the mistake, own up to it. Have the courage to confront your error, 'clean up the mess,' and move on. Nothing says more about someone's character than a person willing to take responsibility for a problem. As a commander, I have an enormous amount of respect for someone who 'takes his licks' and accepts accountability for a mistake than for someone who might point the finger at someone else.

Rule #2: When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. As a parent, I worry about my daughters' safety and my wife and I go to great lengths to protect them, from making sure they wear seat belts to teaching them about not talking to strangers to locking up items in my house that may be dangerous to a child.

As Air Force members, we are constantly reminded to "Take care of your wingman." This could mean making sure you have a designated driver; it could mean paying a visit to a deployed squadron member's spouse to see if s/he needs anything; it could be staying together as a group when traveling abroad. In war, we rely on the people next to us because our lives depend on them, and as Airmen, that alone is an extremely powerful bond we share. There aren't many other organizations I know of who require their employees to give their lives for their co-workers.

Be a leader, and do the right thing...be someone others want to follow, instead of being content to always be the follower. Being a good wingman doesn't only apply to pilots--everyone needs someone to 'watch their back.

And finally, Rule #3: Play fair. Nothing says more about your integrity than your willingness to be fair and open-minded. I once read an account of a professional racquetball player who was in the final match of a big tournament. At match point in the fifth and final game, the player made an incredible play in the corner of the court. The referee called it good and the lineman confirmed the shot was a winner.

But the player turned to the referee and said "No, it wasn't...I saw the ball skip into the wall and hit the floor first."

As a result, the serve went to his opponent who went on to win the match. When asked why he did what he did, the player replied, "It was the only thing I could do to maintain my integrity."

This is a classic example of what it means to play fair. No one likes to be cheated, and no one likes it when the deck is stacked against them. Remember to treat your subordinates fairly; dole out the praise as much as the discipline. Weigh how you evaluate your Airmen, and do your best to treat everyone fairly.

There is an old saying that goes, "I will do what's right and ensure there is no difference between what I say and what I do." To me, that is the epitome of integrity. We could learn something from those Kindergartners.