CHIEF'S COLUMN Published Oct. 13, 2009 By Chief Master Sergeant Clifford Whitenburg 927th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Why? The most frustrating question that our children ask us is probably WHY? It can turn into a never ending series of linking questions that can go on ad infinitum. Some time back I was asked why I chose to make the cross country journey every month to be a part of the "Premier Associate Wing". Without hesitation I responded, "BECAUSE IT'S PERSONAL". To me the 927 ARW isn't just another wing where I can hang my hat, collect a check, and sharpen my spurs for the next promotion and move on to bigger and better things. To me what we do here is personal. I take everything about this wing personally. When we succeed, when we stumble, when we laugh, and when we cry, it's all personal to me. Because it is personal it gives me the energy and the drive to give my very best all the time to see the PEOPLE and the mission grow, develop, mature, and excel. Now I know that we are supposed to be the consummate professionals and some would say that taking this wing personally isn't very professional but I would disagree. You see I'm not saying we should take what happens to US, as an individual personally, I'm saying that we should take every challenge and every opportunity that confronts our wing personally. Let me illustrate. When another unit is preparing for an inspection, deployment, or anything else that impacts their mission we should do all we can to support their success. Case in point, when Col Lewis pointed out at our last Wing CC call that the four ship aircraft launch wasn't just a maintenance or operations success it was a Wing success he was telling us that we should take it personally because all of us played a part in that success. As we deploy at the end of the month, each of us should take it personally that we do all we can to make sure that we are fully prepared to deploy. All of us should do all we can to make sure the deployer's are ready to deploy even if we aren't among those who are leaving station. When the medical folks go through their inspections we should make it personal that we are going to do all we can to support them and propel them to success. SFS teams will be deploying later in the year and we should take that personally? Are you getting the picture? You can be a professional AND take it personally. Lastly, from time to time I hear people opine that we just don't have the same sense of family that we used to have at base "X". If that's true, and that's a big IF in my book, a big part of that is probably because as individuals we aren't taking our wing personally. We're probably caught up in our own little world, centered on our own little problems and careers and ignoring all the many important and great things going on around us. In fact I would stipulate that if you aren't taking what's going on in the wing personally you may just be punching a ticket as you pass through. My challenge to each of you is to take personal ownership of the 927 ARW, its people, and their missions. WHY? Because I said so ;-)