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Be the best at helping others succeed

  • Published
  • By Col. Kyle J. Kremer
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  The fundamental theme of what we do in the military is service. We serve our Nation, our branch of the military, our unit, our fellow service members, our families, our friends and even our fellow man across the globe. No matter what we do, it is all about serving others so they may succeed. It is the common thread that bonds us all together and is found in the core values of all the branches of the military.

"Service Before Self" is more than putting the needs of the Air Force first. It is putting the needs of others ahead of self. Whether you are a member of the 375th Air Mobility Wing or one of our 30 Total Force mission partners, serving others so they can succeed is what we do at Scott AFB.

The mission of the 375th AMW is to provide mission-ready Airmen and capabilities to enable rapid global mobility. A major part of that mission is to ensure Air Mobility Command and Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command are able to support United States Transportation Command in providing rapid global mobility for the Department of Defense, and in turn our Nation. But we are not the only ones who do that here.

Our Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve partners in the 126th Air Refueling Wing and 932d Airlift Wing directly contribute air refueling and airlift in the execution of the mobility mission. The 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing ensures time-critical parts are sourced and delivered around the globe to keep the mobility mission moving. The 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker & Airlift Control Center) provides 24/7 planning and command control of mobility missions worldwide. The Defense Information Systems Agency and Air Force Network Integration Center assure cyberspace and communications capabilities that enable the command and control of those mobility missions. ...and the list goes on.

Every organization on this installation contributes to the global mobility mission in some way, and every organization on this base provides service to someone else. Whether it's delivering food or ammunition to deployed troops, transporting our wounded warriors back to life-saving medical care, responding to natural disasters by delivering humanitarian relief supplies, or shipping household goods for our service members' PCS moves...our global mobility mission is in service to others. The Air Mobility Command ethos captures it well, "Answering the call...so others may prevail."

Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult for some of our Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and civilian employees to identify how what they do on a daily basis contributes to this bigger mission. When the Civil Engineer "Snow Patrol" is plowing the streets and parking lots, they are not just moving snow...they are keeping the mobility machine running by enabling those who plan, command and control those missions to get to work. By providing quality child care at the Child Development Center or Youth Center, our civilian providers are enabling team Scott parents to execute and focus on the mobility mission without worry about their children. By providing trusted counseling and health care, our mighty medics are ensuring a resilient and physically ready force to execute the mobility mission from staff planning to combat deployment. Everything we do connects back to supporting the mobility mission, and that mission is all about helping others succeed.

So when a natural disaster strikes, as did the recent typhoon in the Philippines or the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the President knows he can offer immediate humanitarian support to help them recover because he knows we can get it there quickly. Likewise, our Commander in Chief knows there is nowhere on this planet that terrorists can hide that we cannot reach...and that is because of the rapid global mobility we provide. No other country can match our ability to respond anywhere in the world, anytime, rapidly, on demand and in force...not a single one.

We need to keep that focus in mind, and ensure all our personnel understand just how important what they do is and how it contributes to that greater mission. They should take great pride in their service to others...at home, abroad and right here at Scott AFB. We should all strive to be the best at helping others succeed. When you think about it, their success is also our success...and it's even more rewarding.