All In: A culture of winning Published Feb. 8, 2011 By Chief Master Sgt. Gerardo Tapia 49th Wing Command Chief HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Military service culture has always had deep roots in tradition, history and folklore. Over time, policies, people, geography, circumstances and tragedies can also influence the panorama of our essence and can shape the way we live and fight. No longer can anyone say the Air Force fights from the rear when we now have more vehicle operators with combat experience than we have combat controllers on our rolls. A mid-80s sedentary lifestyle has been replaced with one where we place a high value on speed, precision, education, technology and individual fitness. One thing, however, that has remained constant over time is our culture of winning. No one I know wakes up every morning wondering what they can purposely break or make worse. We don't train, practice, teach, mentor or coach expecting to lose in the end. Organizations, businesses or sports teams who have a long history of success often share common traits. Some of these traits include cultivating and developing internal talent, practicing, enhancing and solidifying the foundation that makes them a winning team or successful organization. They foster the "team" versus the "individual" concept. They become experts in the fundamentals, the blocking and tackling of their business enterprise. Many recognize and applaud the extra effort regardless of whether it was personal or team driven. They reward positive results and hold each other accountable when the team falls short. How are our Air Force spirit, and specifically, our Fightin' 49er culture any different? In the near future, command inspectors will arrive and grade our wing's effectiveness, battle space awareness, and the efficiency and currency of our war skills. Can we deploy and fight? Hear me loud and strong -- "our wing," your team! On the surface I would tell you absolutely. After all, every week we get briefed on the number of Airmen of all ranks that we have deployed all over the world. Those just aren't numbers on a slide, they are all Fightin' 49ers - ready, fists up and poised to swing from the ground up, many of whom will fight tonight. It might be from 20,000 feet high on intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance platforms, manning a perimeter or serving dinner in a remote dining facility, but their contributions will resonate on the battle field. The real question, as our operational readiness inspection looms on the horizon, is can we do it safely, and in compliance with directives, laws and regulations? As we reach the pinnacle of our preparation time, we need to remind ourselves that our culture of winning needs to be more than just attitude, it needs substance. Don't get me wrong, the right attitude is important, but it needs to be backed up by a solid performance. When the bravado and swagger wear off, inspectors will look at results. Our culture needs to go much further than that, a mile wide and an inch deep will not win this for us, we need depth. In order for us to have success during our ORI, our culture of winning needs to rise from a high level of preparation, knowledge, technical competence and teamwork. Our general "Airmanship" and the small details will matter as well. Keep this in mind as our time becomes more valuable and less abundant. See you in the trenches, Airman Tapia