In it together

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Tracy Watkins
  • 30th Comptroller Squadron commander
The month of April is extremely busy; the Year of the Air Force Family topic is recreation and leisure, tax day is looming, and Vandenberg will observe Child Abuse Prevention, Sexual Assault Prevention, Alcohol Awareness and Month of the Military Child. The theme for April's observance month is "Safe Communities ... We're In It Together" ... and of course, we are all heavily engaged in change of command preparations.

But having the money guy write a commentary on April Fool's Day is a bit ironic -- money is important and it should be taken seriously. So what to write about?

Everyone pays taxes, so that is an obvious choice--Vandenberg has a great tax office with a very knowledgeable tax professional. There are a lot of changes every year and it's no different for your 2009 taxes. I looked up individual tax changes for 2009 and there are over 20 different categories of changes; it is hard to keep straight so my advice is if you have questions, ask! Don't try to be your own tax professional -- the tax service here is great and free! Ms. Ann Fox is Vandenberg's tax expert. She is available to assist with taxes at the legal office. Call her at 606-2247 for an appointment. But that's all I have on taxes; so what's next?

The Year of the Air Force Family topic, "Recreation & Leisure," is important as we highlight the requirement to maximize recreation and leisure activities for our military members and their families. I'm here to tell you taking the time for recreation and leisure maximizes mission effectiveness. I recently returned from a week of leave where I was in Florida for my daughter's softball tournament. She plays for a small Division III college in Wisconsin and every year they travel to a warm climate and play in a tournament to prepare for their conference schedule. Ten games in five days with one day off during the week; now that's recreation and leisure and, for me, simply an awesome week of leave as I get to spend time with my family and watch my daughter play softball.

I know you are all wondering how she and the team did; they were 7-3 with two losses coming at the hands of nationally ranked softball teams. She played great defensively with no errors and a few ESPN plays, but offensively she struggled. Last year at the same tournament, she earned player of the week honors as she hit a couple of home runs and hit almost .400. Again, this year she struggled -- struck out a few too many times and simply did not have the impact her coach was looking for; he had great expectations because as a sophomore she was simply a studette. So what happened this year?

Unrealistic expectations happened! The coach expected a big hit every time she came up and when the game was on the line, he just knew she was going to come through with the big hit! During the course of the week, you could see the tension build between the two. The last day of the tournament the team played three games of which they won all three. My daughter hit OK, she had a hit in each of the first two games but the last time at bat in the second game she struck out; the coach benched her and put in a freshman who hit the ball really well. As debate between my wife and me ensued, I was convinced that was the right move by the coach --- results are the key. When time came for game three, I didn't expect my daughter to once again get the start but she did, and she had a great game with a triple and a home-run that was hit over the scoreboard. What a great finish!

So as I was having some recreation and leisure time, there I was learning valuable lessons on leadership. First, as the "coach" of the team, you are always being watched and your team truly takes on your actions and attitudes as their own; second, don't set unrealistic expectations; and third, have confidence in your people.

All of your Airmen are important and each of them need to feel a part of the team, but don't overwhelm those you rely on the most. We all have those we feel most comfortable with and when we are pressed for immediate results, we run to them and expect them to produce. When that happens, don't set unrealistic expectations; expect them to deliver and they will, but can you expect a triple or a homerun every time your Airmen take a swing? And lastly, after a strikeout don't lose confidence but rather try and understand the reasons for the strikeout. Was it the environment, the expectations or other contributing factors? Sometimes we simply swing at bad pitches, which requires us to step in and provide mentoring and leadership. I guess I found something to write about after all!

So, in this busy month of April remember the importance of "Recreation & Leisure," file your taxes and get involved in the community, because we truly are "... in it together."