82 TRW/CC: "Key to success over the long haul is balance"

  • Published
  • By Brig. Gen. Michael Fantini
  • 82nd Training Wing commander
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Next week marks our second quarterly Focus Week - a chance to step back and remind ourselves of the programs and services available to support each of us, our families and our wingmen.

Why is Focus Week important? Let's look back at what has happened at Sheppard since our last "Keep it Rollin'" Focus Week back in August.

On the positive side, we've had a number of big successes.

We had a great Combat Dining Out and welcomed several high-profile visitors, including the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, the Air Force Inspector General and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services - not to mention more than 20 community leaders from across the country serving on the Chief of Staff Civic Leaders Group.

We completed a very successful Combined Federal Campaign that raised $254,000, beating our goal by more than 25 percent. Led by the Contracting and Comptroller squadrons, we had an incredible end-of-fiscal-year closeout, in which Sheppard received more than $10 million to improve our base.

And that's just to mention a few highlights - and all, of course, on top of training thousands of Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines.

We've had some challenging times, too, the toughest being the loss of two members of our Sheppard family: Tech. Sgt. Chris Smith, a Metals Technology instructor with the 361st Training Squadron, and Ms. Jackie Ralston, a budget technician with the 364th Training Squadron.

These are the times when we draw strength from our Air Force family. I'm proud of how we came together to care for the families of these two Airmen and their units.

A different kind of challenge was working through several courts-martial that resulted in convictions of Airmen who did not live up to our high standards. Courts can be hard, but they're important. Most Airmen do what's right and work to maintain a professional environment, but the few who don't do the right thing need to be held accountable. We simply cannot and will not tolerate criminal or unprofessional behavior on our team.

So we've had some good moments and some tough ones over the past three months. That's how life can be, full of ups and downs. The key to success over the long haul is balance, and that's really what Focus Week is all about.

The programs offered across the base - from the financial management classes at the Airman & Family Readiness Center, to the fitness classes at the HAWC, to family counseling offered by Mental Health - are really all about helping us stay balanced. Or sometimes, helping us to regain our balance.

But those programs are of no use if people don't know about them or take advantage of them. And that's why Focus Week matters.

I encourage you to take time next week to learn about what's available to you, to your families and to your wingmen. Attend some of the classes and events planned for the week, and take time to step back and see where your life might need a little balancing. You'll be stronger and better for it.