Commentary: Military customs and courtesies – it's everyone's job

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Raymond Pawlowski
  • 75th Security Forces Squadron
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Imagine you are at work standing around and talking with your co-workers. An individual, in uniform, walks by with their hand in their pocket. Or maybe they walk by talking on their cell phone or with their PT shirt not tucked in. What do you do? Are you someone who will turn the other way and pretend you didn't notice, or are you the type to walk up to that person and professionally correct them?

I am Master Sgt. Raymond Pawlowski. I have been in the Air Force for almost 17 years. I am a member of the 75th Security Forces Squadron at Hill Air Force Base. During my time in the Air Force, there have been many changes and developments along the way. However, one of the things that has stayed the same is our customs and courtesies.

Here at Hill, I have noticed that we need to tighten up in a few areas. There are individuals who walk around not adhering to the Air Force's standards. Things such as walking and talking on cell phones, PT shirts not tucked in, hands in pockets, people walking outside without their hats, and not saluting a staff car happen far too often.

Although I try to correct them, I can't get to all of them and I know that there are times that I miss an infraction. The most discouraging part is the number of individuals who pass these infractions and do nothing about them. What has happened to our customs and courtesies and our traditions?

We, as members of the Air Force, need to ensure that we are doing things the right way all the time. We need to first put ourselves in check to make sure that we are in the right.

Then, when we see a deficiency, we need to correct it. We need to get back to our roots. I know, that when I raised my right hand, I was agreeing to live by our core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.

I also know that we don't always live up to those values; we get complacent and lazy. We need everyone to step up to the plate. Now is the time to make the change. Now is the time to hold everyone to the same standard. And now is the time that you can make a difference. It's everyone's job.