Recognizing a professional

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Richard Pagliuco
  • 319th Missile Squadron commander
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  Last week, I reached a milestone ... 25 years as a member of the Air Force.

In that time, I have held 10 different ranks from airman basic to lieutenant colonel, and I have discovered that regardless of the rank, we tend to fail in communicating what is meant when we use words like leadership, integrity or professional.

How many times have you heard someone say, "Boy, that was unprofessional" or "Why can't he be more professional?"

But what do they mean when they use the term professional?

Professionals are people who have or show great skill -- experts. While most people would agree that skill and expertise are expected from a professional, after 25 years, I've realized that a military professional, regardless of rank, is obligated to go beyond being just a technical expert.

We must go beyond the basic understanding of specialties and discover how we fit into the larger picture.

This requires a personal pursuit of knowledge that not only enhances our ability to do our job but provides a deeper understanding of why we do our job.

Every morning in mission planning, before my crews leave for the missile complex, I ask them where they are going. The response I'm looking for is "Forward deployed, trigger pulling, battle positions."

We do this for several reasons but mainly to remind crews they are part of a long line of warriors. To truly understand what this means requires a step beyond technical proficiency.

Each individual has the responsibility to undertake focused studies that relate specifically to the mission he or she supports.

For those of us at Warren, this means we should study not only past battles and doctrine of today, but we should study and understand nuclear deterrence to include the essential attributes of deterrence: credible capability - the very basis of our existence.

I encourage those willing to learn to read John Lewis Gaddis' "The Cold War - A New History."

By taking the necessary steps to truly understand our mission and how we support this mission, we become true professionals. It provides us with a sense of pride and appreciation for how we are an integral part of a team.

None of us were forced to join the service; we all volunteered to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

Whether it was the lure of adventure or the romantic notion of being a warrior, one thing is certain: We are all part of a professional military force.

Professionalism is not attained instantly upon swearing into the profession of arms, nor can you attain it overnight. Professionalism must be a lifelong pursuit.