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Being a good Wingman

  • Published
  • By Col. Gary Goldstone
  • 375th Airlift Wing commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  I am an American Airman. Wingman, Leader, Warrior. I will never leave an Airman behind.

What does it mean to be a Wingman? The term Wingman has spread beyond its original use in the flying arena to encompass the Air Force's core philosophy of taking care of each other on and off the battlefield, on and off duty.

We are all Wingmen - active duty, Guardsmen, Reservists and civilians. As Wingmen, we are called to take a proactive role in the lives of those around us by listening, watching and intervening when necessary.

Being a good Wingman means not only asking others how they are doing but also stopping to listen to the response. Being a good Wingman means taking the car keys away from someone who has had too much to drink and offering him a ride home instead.

Being a good Wingman means we take a coworker who has returned from a 180-day deployment out to lunch to talk about settling back into work and home. Being a good Wingman means we get our friends the help of professionals even when they do not want or think they need the help.

Ice hockey all star and MVP, Wayne Gretzky, once said, "The good hockey players know where the puck is. The great hockey players know where the puck is gonna be." So too does this apply to being a good Wingman.

"Celebrating the Wingman concept of Airmen taking care of Airmen has been a valuable Air Force tool in promoting responsible behaviors among Airmen," wrote Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, deputy chief of staff, Air Force Manpower and Personnel in a memo to the troops. "Since 2004, every Air Force unit has participated in the annual observance of Wingman Day..."

The 375th Airlift Wing will host its Wingman Day Friday, when it will come together to strengthen Wingman bonds by devoting time to relationship building between co-workers, by examining organizational strengths and vulnerabilities and by focusing on critical health and safety related behaviors that are at the core of the Wingman concept.

Wingman Day provides an opportunity for leaders to facilitate candid discussion among Airmen and for units to get to know, understand and appreciate each other. Events throughout the day will reinforce the Wingman concept through team building, communication and interaction. Discussion topics will include Air Force heritage, responsible drinking behavior, safety in the workplace and at home, suicide prevention and awareness, effective financial management and a host of other important topics.

One of the central messages of Wingman Day is good leadership is good prevention. Leaders must encourage Airmen to be great Wingmen. Leaders must promote healthy behaviors by role modeling healthy lifestyle choices and they must maintain a supportive work environment and encourage those who need help to seek it.

Wingman Day also gives Airmen a chance to renew their commitments to making good decisions in and out of uniform. As the world's greatest Air and Space Force, integrating our core values into a culture of responsible choices is critical to mission accomplishment.

For many of us, the normal pace of operations at home and at work is Mach 2.0!. We rush from one thing to the next barely pausing to catch our breath. In the middle of the hustle and bustle, we tend to lose track of the most important part of our lives - the people around us.

It is easy to get distracted when so many things are demanding our attention. As Wingmen, however, our most important priority everyday is ensuring the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being of our coworkers and our families.

The Air Force Strategic Plan states, "Airmen are the Air Force's strongest resource and our greatest strength." People, not weapon systems accomplish the mission. To fly, fight and win, we must first protect the welfare of our people.

While we will take one day out Friday to refocus our energies on the Wingman concept, being good Wingmen requires us to be people-focused 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is only when we honor our Wingman duties we can achieve mission success.