Job or profession

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Pete Sterns
  • The 614th Air and Space Operations Center deputy commander
Last week, I had an opportunity to speak to a group of junior high school students for a career day at my daughter's school. The feedback I received was that they thought the job I do was "uber" cool, but, I have to tell you, it was a challenge to condense the last 20 years into 20 minutes.

This experience made me reflect on the adventure that is before you. The Air Force road has led me places I could not have envisioned when I started. Case in point: as a space and missile operator, I never thought I would spend three years at a fighter wing in Alaska nor would I have ever guessed I would be boots on the ground with Special Forces in Uzbekistan after 9/11. As a matter fact, when I was at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., I was actually told I would never be allowed to go to places like Uzbekistan.

Yes, there are unknowns as you look forward, but there is also great excitement and opportunity. So my question for you is, how do you view your Air Force career as you move forward? Is it a job, or is it a profession? 

A job is a paycheck. You do what needs to be done. You clock in and clock out. You drive to alert, you drive home. You can work hard, but your work is not part of who you are. You can have the satisfaction of a job well done, but fulfillment is probably lacking.
A profession, on the other hand, is something you study and seek to master. It requires concentration and effort. The profession of arms is great because it is honorable and requires service to something bigger than yourself. In short, with a profession, your identity is connected to what you do. And when you get further down the road, you may realize that your profession is what you were called to do. Your identity is intrinsically linked to what you do and, more specifically, how you are called to do it. You cannot imagine doing anything else and you would not have it any other way, regardless of the cost. When it's a calling, you will rarely even see the cost.

I want to challenge you to commit to something bigger than yourself, embrace the profession of arms and make a difference. With that in mind, as you travel the road yet unknown, equip yourself with three concepts.

First, never stop learning. Become an expert on not only your weapon system at work, but also on a hobby. This will be critical to you maintaining balance. (I am trying to become an expert at fly fishing. My success, thus far, has been somewhat limited, but I am continuing). In order to be that expert, you must be a student. You have to know why things work to be that expert.

Also, read about history. Learn those broad lessons from history like Kasserine Pass where centralized control and decentralized execution was learned for the application of air power. However, don't study just Air Force history. We go to war joint. Heck, we actually go to war combined, so you need to understand how the other services plan and operate. Space is inherently joint. Study doctrine, especially joint doctrine; again, we fight joint. The other services know doctrine, you need to as well. If you expect to win any arguments down the road you will need to know doctrine.

Don't forget you need to be willing to learn from those around you. Every one of you is better at something than I am, and I can learn from you. The person sitting next to you is better than you at something than you are. Take time to learn from each other.

The second thing I want you to take away is to share what you learn. Don't just be an instructor, be a mentor as well. Don't let others make the same mistakes you have made. Also, tell them what has worked so they can share in that success. In order to be an instructor and a mentor effectively, you have to be able to get along with people and communicate well.

Third, set goals and dream. Do you want to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or chief master sergeant of the Air Force? Set those goals and work toward them. As you work toward those goals, do not be afraid to have your own ideas.

Last summer, I got to meet my wife's third cousin Ryan, a lieutenant who was stationed here. Over the course of the summer, we had him and a number of his "bubbas" over for barbecue in the backyard. They were polite and listened to our ideas, but what was really exciting was they were confident in who they were and wanted to share their plans and ideas. Don't lose that type of passion for your ideas because it is not enough to just have an idea; you must be willing to market your own ideas, too! You will run across resistance to change things, but do not let that discourage you. If you see a problem, recommend a solution and fix it.

If you do embrace the challenge and commit to something bigger than yourself, you are in for one whale of an adventure; and you will make a difference. Sure, it will take effort, and there will be a cost, but it is worth it. To learn from and teach the world around you should be your goal, and it is an act of service for those called to a profession.