TEAM "Together Everyone Achieves More"

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Darnell Edmonds
  • 39th Air Base Wing Ground Safety manager
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  One of the most important character traits we should strive to achieve is responsibility. It is not just important to accept responsibility for the things of our own doing, but also for everything we have the opportunity to influence. Regardless of rank, as a member of the world's greatest air and space force, we are part of a team or "family" that takes great pride in our willingness and ability to watch each other's back. It's been said that the acronym TEAM stands for "Together Everyone Achieves More."

There's no doubt that being an effective Wingman and embracing the "Wingman culture" takes effort and commitment. It's about knowing the people you work with, for and around. It takes being willing to step in and lend a hand when you see one of your fellow Airmen in need.

In addition to the Incirlik Wingman Program is another new wing-wide program, but not a new concept, the Flight Lead Program.

"In this program, experienced leaders in each unit get out and make face to face contact with at risk personnel, 26 and under, prior to every weekend," said Tech. Sgt. Xaviera McFadden, 39th Air Base Wing, Noncommissioned Officer in charge of Ground Mishap Investigations. "The leaders will discuss specifics about high-risk activities, designated drivers, distance and location of travel and Wingman elements."

The Wingman elements consist of check-in procedures, lost Wingman procedures and rendezvous points. This program stresses responsibility and accountability. Check-in procedures refer to making periodic contact throughout a given period of time. A good technique is to check in hourly or whenever the group moves from one place to another. Lost Wingman procedures deal with what to do if a member of the group misses a check-in and no one can locate that person. Rendezvous points are pre-arranged meeting places used in the event a member becomes a "lost Wingman."
Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, outlines the roles and responsibilities of the three tiers of the enlisted corps. One item that stands out when reading this AFI is that Airmen within all three tiers are responsible for not only being technically, physically and mentally ready to accomplish the mission themselves, but they should also be mindful of their fellow Airmen' s actions. More specifically, everyone is responsible for knowing when someone needs assistance.

Commitment to our core values of integrity, service before self and excellence in all we do also means being committed to each other. Be an active rather than a complacent Wingman. It's not just part of a duty description, it's how we fly, fight and win.