Reading Published Aug. 25, 2015 By Maj. Stacie Rembold 436th Communications Squadron commander DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- I am sure you've heard the old saying, "You should try and learn something new each day." This saying is timeless; we are all learning creatures, it's in our nature to learn. One could argue that when you stop learning, you stop existing. One important way to learn is by reading. For all of us affiliated with the military, reading for professional development and reading for compliance are critical to our success. It wasn't until the last 10 years or so that reading for professional development truly became extremely important to me, though reading for compliance has been instilled in me since I was a young Airman. Both types of reading are key to a successful career. Prior to my assignment here at Dover Air Force Base I was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio working at the Air Force Institute of Technology where I was the director of operations for the Center for Cyberspace Research. As the DO, besides managing day-to-day operations, I occasionally taught strategy as it relates to cyberspace. In order to teach this successfully, I had to dive into the true meaning of what this subject meant. I began reading many books on cyber deterrence, cyber law, and strategy, to name a few topics. All this reading took its toll on me; I'm not a speed reader by any means so I spent many hours trying to comprehend all the books for a better understanding of the subject I was expected to teach. Reading inspired my creativity, thought, and helped me develop personal perspectives that I normally wouldn't glean on my own limited experiences from my day-to-day duties as a DO. Reading provided the avenue to learn something new; I was able to call upon what I read and related it to my lectures and open debates. Reading the variety of diverse subjects gave me the confidence to debate both sides of important arguments such as the argument that "cyberwar will or will not ever occur." My first supervisor and mentor who really made an impression on my career was Tech. Sgt. William Hassler, now a retired senior master sergeant after a very successful career. Even though he is retired and out of my professional life, I still echo his words today to my squadron members, "What does the AFI say?" Tech. Sgt. Hassler taught me very early in my career how critical it was to always be in compliance. This means you have to dig deep into the AFIs that pertain to your duties. His philosophy was simple, "It's easier to maintain compliance than it is to dig yourself out of a hole of non-compliance." Reading those instructions, guidance memorandums and technical orders will nearly guarantee compliance, if they are followed. They will also make each and every one of us more confident in our daily duties, having much the same side effect as reading for professional development. While there are many benefits to reading, I challenge every Airman to read continuously. Read for professional development and for compliance! We all must continue to develop ourselves professionally while mastering our own areas of responsibility and expertise. It's inevitable that peers, subordinates and leadership will look up to those individuals who continually strive to learn; reading is the perfect avenue to make this happen.