Recognizing what makes the real Air Force

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Brian Beeksma
  • Superintendent, 88th Medical Group
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  At some point in our service to our great nation, many of us have heard or have been told, "This isn't the real Air Force."

My first exposure to the term was soon after arriving at basic training. It was a bit of a rocky start and it didn't take long for me to reconsider my career choice. Let's just say that my training instructor and I became very well acquainted. I was the guy that every flight had, the one who couldn't swing his arms when he marched. Because of this, I received a lot of "up   close and personal" attention.

After one such exchange, I mentioned to one of my buddies that maybe I wasn't cut out for the Air Force. He told me not to quit because this wasn't "the real Air Force." Maybe he was right. Fortunately for me, he spent time every night working with me in the day room to correct my issue.

When evaluation time came around I passed and subsequently graduated. I was now an Airman, but one question kept entering my mind: "What was the real Air Force?"

As my career progressed, I often heard "This isn't the real Air Force." More than likely, I   was told this by a supervisor, or other high-ranking person. This pattern continued as I transitioned from base to base. I was beginning to think that like five gallons of prop wash and 50 feet of flight line, the real Air Force was just another Air Force urban legend. However, that all changed Dec. 5, 2001.

As with many Air Force members, the days following Sept. 11, 2001, were followed by deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. It was no different for me. I was tasked, along with 120 other medics, to set up the only contingency trauma center in the area of responsibility. Fortunately, business for the most part, was pretty light   and we were all occupied with the holidays and feeling sorry for ourselves because we were away from home. Then the call came. A C-130 was inbound with several casualties. Fifteen years of Air Force training as a medic would culminate in this moment.

Our team performed like a well-oiled machine and after the last wound had been bandaged, I had time to reflect. Because of our actions, 17 Soldiers survived and as a result a little boy would learn how to throw a curveball, a daughter would be walked down the aisle by her daddy, and a wife would once again hold her husband.

At that point, I realized that I had been looking for the real Air Force in the   wrong place. You see, the real Air Force is not a spot on a map. The real Air Force is something much bigger than that. It's not something that you can touch or see.

The real Air Force is the feeling you get when you understand that what you do makes a difference in someone else's life and that you are part of a greater good. Looking back, I recognized that I had been part of the real Air Force from day one.

It is incumbent upon all of us to make sure that our young Airmen, NCOs, officers and civilians see how they fit into the bigger picture. We should not minimize what they do by telling them that where they are and what they are doing   isn't the real Air Force. Whether it's loading bombs, turning a wrench or helping an Airman with two left feet learn how to march, we're all part of the real Air Force. Everything that we do makes a difference. That's the real Air Force.

A letter my unit received from the company commander of those injured Soldiers pretty much sums up what I've been trying to say. He wrote, "Today I return to the fight with a battered body and a heavy heart. But I know that if I should ever fall on the field of battle, you will be there to pick me up." I'm here to tell you, the Air Force doesn't get much more real than that.