Today continues to be a great time to serve our country. It is a time where we are inundated with social media, constant data feeds, and endless streams of information flow. In everything we do. The need to serve in the military has never been so strong. The military is viewed at as the most trusted organization in our nation. Our country needs willing volunteers to step up and do hard things. I am constantly impressed by the high level of work our Airmen and Soldiers do each and every day.

Recently, I was asked what it takes to be successful as a senior noncommissioned officer. Really, it is very simple. There are five things that we must do to master our craft.

1. “Stick to the basics and you will never have to go back to them.” Advanced means doing the basics better, become a subjectmatter expert in your Air Force Specialty Code/Military Occupational Specialty.

2. Do physical training. PT is the foundation of everything we do in the military and what sets us apart from our civilian counterparts.

3. Don’t rush to failure. We are all in a hurry to get promoted and move on to the next big thing, but at what cost? There is no substitute for wisdom gained by time on task. Do disciplined tactical, organizational, and even strategic movement. 

4. Violence of action wins fights. If you are committed to an action, make it happen. Understanding the basics and not rushing to failure becomes more obvious (#1 and #3 above). 

5. Take care of your Airmen/Soldiers, take care of your equipment/gear, and then take care of yourself… in that order. Self-disciplined NCOs and leaders communicate with and care for their troops, equipment, systems, and gear. They are mission critical and must be maintained. Taking care of yourself means ensuring your personal skills, equipment, and knowledge are not the weak links in the process.

Thanks for all you do!

Today continues to be a great time to serve our country. It is a time where we are inundated with social media, constant data feeds, and endless streams of information flow. In everything we do. The need to serve in the military has never been so strong. The military is viewed at as the most trusted organization in our nation. Our country needs willing volunteers to step up and do hard things. I am constantly impressed by the high level of work our Airmen and Soldiers do each and every day.

Recently, I was asked what it takes to be successful as a senior noncommissioned officer. Really, it is very simple. There are five things that we must do to master our craft.

1. “Stick to the basics and you will never have to go back to them.” Advanced means doing the basics better, become a subjectmatter expert in your Air Force Specialty Code/Military Occupational Specialty.

2. Do physical training. PT is the foundation of everything we do in the military and what sets us apart from our civilian counterparts.

3. Don’t rush to failure. We are all in a hurry to get promoted and move on to the next big thing, but at what cost? There is no substitute for wisdom gained by time on task. Do disciplined tactical, organizational, and even strategic movement. 

4. Violence of action wins fights. If you are committed to an action, make it happen. Understanding the basics and not rushing to failure becomes more obvious (#1 and #3 above). 

5. Take care of your Airmen/Soldiers, take care of your equipment/gear, and then take care of yourself… in that order. Self-disciplined NCOs and leaders communicate with and care for their troops, equipment, systems, and gear. They are mission critical and must be maintained. Taking care of yourself means ensuring your personal skills, equipment, and knowledge are not the weak links in the process.

Thanks for all you do!