The Air Force Officer’s Guide: Conscience

During the three months my family and I spent in Altus, OK this spring, while I completed my initial C-17 training, we attended a book fair one Saturday afternoon at the local library.  As I walked into the room full of books, my attention immediately shifted to a pile of old, tattered hardcovers in the back corner.  Old books have always fascinated me.  Not that old always means better, but maybe in a world of quick gimmicks and one-hit wonders, something that has stood the test of time can offer us something we don’t normally find, wisdom.

So, you can imagine my delight when my friend, Chris Yengo, pointed out to me a copy of an tattered, blue book, straight from the 50’s entitled, “The Air Force Officer’s Guide.”  To most this might not be such a great find, but I am, in fact, an Air Force officer and was sure that there would be a few pearls of wisdom to be found in this book; this collection of lessons written in an age when it wasn’t offensive to be direct and virtue was something to be honored rather than sold in a cute children’s book.

For the next several weeks I want to present to you, taken straight from the book, some wonderful traits and traditions of Air Force officership.  Like many classics, they are universal and can easily be transferred from the life of an officer to yours, wherever you are and whatever you happen to do.  Tonight we look at conscience straight from page 325:

Conscience. A quality invariably present in fine Air Force officers is the driving force of conscience. No man other than yourself can say with assurance how hard you tried to do your job. Success is no criterion here. Many an officer has accomplished the task assigned in an excellent manner, drawing praise from his superiors and subordinates alike, but finding the taste of praise bitter because he knew he could have done better.

Conscience will not let well enough alone, it insists on the best. It is good that this is so, since none may ever know by just what minute increment of effort the tide of battle is swayed. One is reminded of an Air Force officer in Korea who, being responsible for the maintenance of aircraft in his unit, had turned out for a critical day’s operation , 90 percent of his assigned aircraft in commission for combat. No other Air Force unit in Korea had as high an in-commission status that day. Yet the officer inquestion was obviously disconsolate.Standing in the cold mud of Korea with great rings of weariness under hus eyes from inhuman working hours this officer said: “A little forethought and I could have turned them all out.”

Thus spoke the driving force of conscience, the burning dissatisfaction with any result but the best. Shakespeare noted that “conscience doth make cowards of us all.” In some respects this is true, but if an officer learns that he is answerable to his conscience, and so acts as to be able to confront it without fear, conscience will make superior officers of most and heroes of some.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Related posts:

1. In Praise of Minimalism

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.