Teamwork is key to our success! Published Aug. 17, 2011 By Col. Mike Hornitschek 375th Air Mobility Wing commander Scott Air Force Base, Ill. -- What a great time to be at Scott Air Force Base! We are on the homestretch as we prepare for the Combined Unit Inspection. We've reviewed our programs, polished our processes and cleaned up our areas, and I believe we are ready to meet our inspectors and show them what we're all about! Going through an inspection can be like riding a roller coaster. Some people are terrified of the ride and others view it as a thrill. The 375th views it as a thrill ride because we truly see this not only as an opportunity to excel, but also, and more importantly, as an opportunity to assist the command and the Air Force in consolidating their inspection schedules. To excel in this inspection means that no one can accomplish this feat by him or herself. We must band together and focus on teamwork to surpass all expectations in this upcoming historic event. As we focus on teamwork, we will notice that it is comprised of trust, cohesion and support. It is these three factors that work together to bring together a great team. Trust is at the core of teamwork. Without trust no team can succeed. You must trust your fellow Airman and coworkers to accomplish their tasks, their portions of the workload, and do it well. In turn you must be trustworthy; your teammates must be able to trust that you too will complete all your tasks and achieve quality products. This trust allows teams to work more efficiently and cultivate a great work environment. Cohesion is also a vital element of teamwork. I encourage you to get to know each other even better than you already do. Know each other's strengths, weaknesses, talents, stress level, family matters; the more you know the better off your team will be. This understanding will enable your team to predict each other's movements, attacking tasks from multiple angles with no wasted movement. Finally, support is the essence of teamwork. At times members of our team may be hit hard, but they will not fall if we are behind them to support them. Great teams understand that supporting each other should not only be done in times of hardship, but should occur constantly. Constructing a strong team synergy allows us to achieve feats that would be impossible should someone try to complete them alone. I challenge you over these next few days to actively find ways to better support each other because in the end, individually or organizationally, we here in the 375th exist to make everyone more successful at what they do. The crisis response exercise last week was a great example of teamwork. Not only did each agency have to rely on teamwork within their own organization, but the units had to support and assist each other in order to complete the task at hand. These exercises are crucial not only for maintaining readiness capabilities but also for their intangibles benefits such as fostering teamwork. I would like to thank all of you for the hard work that you do each day to make this base great, and for the extra effort that has gone into preparing for this inspection. We've already seen many successes because of our attention to detail, which is another hallmark of this outstanding wing. We're done talking ... now's the time to execute! Good luck, enjoy the ride, and let's show that 3-7-5 Showcase Pride!!!