A commander's "call" to Shogun Warriors

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Rey Ramon
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  The enlisted ranks of the 18th Wing gathered at the Keystone Theater July 10 for a wing commander's call focusing on his expectations for Airmen. 

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Colonel Ken Wilsbach, 18th Wing commander, started the call by saying how impressed he was with the Shogun Warriors and flatly stated that Kadena Airmen "will be winners." To accomplish this, he advised Airmen to take a lesson from elite athletes, noting that professional athletes work hard year-round to be better than their opponents.

"The first thing you need to know about being a winner," Colonel Wilsbach said, "is that you have to do the work."

The colonel expects Airmen to put in the work required to improve themselves and the team. He asked that Airmen constantly examine their performance, saying, "Critique yourself; give yourself feedback, whether it's in your professional or personal life."

Continuing his theme of constant improvement, the commander said he expects Airmen to be innovative.

"There are many areas where Team Kadena can be smarter, better, faster and more efficient," Colonel Wilsbach said, adding, "You know your job better than I do. You are the expert."

In his second point, the commander unequivocally stated that everyone in the wing will be treated with dignity and respect, adding that job performance is the only acceptable discriminating factor.

Colonel Wilsbach said that he counts on Team Kadena to stymie inappropriate discrimination both on and off duty. "We are in the Profession of Arms," he said, "and I expect you to give the proper respect to each other."

A tertiary point was about making right choices.

"I encourage you to make those right choices," Colonel Wilsbach said. "You can help each other with that by having a 'Wingman' mentality."

Along with making the right choices, the commander said he expects Airmen to utilize the principles of operational risk management, saying "Look at the risks you may encounter before you commit to a course of action."

The colonel's parting thought was that all Airmen should lead in their own worlds.

"You should lead in your own area by owning the problem and taking care of it yourselves," the colonel said. "If you don't have the resources or the know-how, pass it on to those that can help fix the problem."

The commander ended the call by reaffirming how impressed he had been with Team Kadena since his arrival and saying, "The bottom line about being a winner is that it does not happen by accident, you must continuously work at it."