Stepping Up When Others Leave

  • Published
  • By Col. Peter Kovats
  • 436th Aeromedical Squadron commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  I'm sure we've all heard the saying, 'Wow, we'll sure miss him' or 'I wonder who'll fill her shoes since she PCS'd', but I challenge you to alter your overall perspective on this, think the opposite.

Certainly, you should still say those things, so the person doesn't feel badly or you don't upset those that really will miss him or her. But, you should think differently. More importantly consider, 'what do I now need to do to step in and step up to the plate to keep the mission going?'.

Yes, it is perhaps a tired cliché, but everyone needs to think of these things to "keep the mission going", to not let anything drop off the situational awareness radar.

We have all been affected by draw downs and minimal manning. These problems will not improve and they will not get better. One option is to simply sit on our hands and complain about the fact that 'no one understands our mission', that 'we are crucial to the mission of the USAF' and 'I just can't believe that we are only manned to this extent, we'll never be able to accomplish what HQ (or fill in the blank) is asking'.

While all of these things may in fact be true, and while there is certainly nothing wrong with complaining, it is still wasted energy.

Now, while it is true that a "vocal" Airman is a happy Airman, complaining or "vocalizing" must be accomplished in small portions. This is with the understanding that a "vocal" Airman cares about what he or she is doing and wants to do it the right way the first time.
I am referring to those in the enterprise that get so overwhelmed that they cannot function in an efficient manner or function at all because they relied so heavily on others around them or above them to literally take care of everything. They expect that this will continue on and the proverbial gravy train will never stop.

Well, as you can certainly imagine, it does eventually stop and depending on where you are, it can either be a gentle nudge or a violent, cataclysmic, life-changing event. It is really your choice. But, for everyone's greater good (especially your own), it is best to be in the first category.

So how can you be prepared to step in to those shoes and fill that void left by someone because of leave, deployment, TDY, PCS, retirement or separation?

Be ready, take care of yourself in all aspects: physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. All of these factor in to being prepared when you are called upon to do more or garner more responsibility.

Everyone understands that taking on more responsibility is a scary proposition, to suddenly be in a position that you are thrust into without much warning.

However, there really is no excuse to not being prepared to take on greater responsibilities if and when we're called upon. This is what each and every one of us should strive for every day, to truly understand how each of us are related to the greater mission, the duties each of us have in the Air Force and specifically at the 436th Airlift Wing, to Deliver.