Resilient Warrior: Integrity matters

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tom Czerwinski
  • Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs
The Pacific Air Forces Resilient Warrior attribute for August is "Integrity." Integrity is our first "Core Value". It is a character trait, your moral compass, your inner voice that tells you right from wrong and the voice of reason and self-control. Integrity is the basis for trust - imperative in today's Air Force. 

Integrity is the ability to hold together and properly regulate all of the elements of your personality. A person of integrity acts on conviction and controls impulses and appetites by doing the right thing when nobody is watching. 

"As Airmen our integrity is challenged when called upon to do the right thing and make a decision, whether it's for the mission or in our day-to-day lives," said General Paul V. Hester, commander of Pacific Air Forces. "An Airman's integrity is tested everyday when confronted with the challenge of doing something the easy way or the right way. An Airman who is grounded with a strong moral compass and embraces integrity will always pass this test." 

An Airman's reputation is earned throughout the span of his or her career and can be lost in an instant, when their integrity is in question. Lost integrity jeopardizes mission focus, Airmen's careers, the Air Force's reputation, and in some cases it costs American lives. 

"The value and importance of integrity will only increase as the Air Force continues to downsize. With less manpower to ensure the job is done right the first time, it is incumbent on each and every Airman to embrace and re-energize themselves with this core value," said Gen Hester. "Your actions reflect not just on you, but on the whole Air Force." 

Integrity is also an integral part of several other indispensable moral traits such as Courage, Honesty, Responsibility, Accountability, Justice, Openness, Self-respect and Humility. 

General Hester designated 2007 as the year of the "PACAF Resilient Warrior," a 12-month campaign focused on 11 critical attributes of success designed to enhance pride, build resilience, and reinforce responsible decision-making in all our Airmen. When he announced the Resilient Warrior initiative. General Hester challenged leaders to promote the critical attributes of personal success as a means of building individual and unit resilience. 

"Effective operations require a host of activities to be completed correctly and efficiently by a number of Airmen, from logistics, support, maintenance and aircrews. These individual achievements combine into a formidable fighting team. Integrity is the glue that holds this team together and sustains the confidence that each Airman has in one another. In the end, integrity is the backbone of America's Air Forces and the engine that drives all Airmen to fly, fight and win" he said. 

The PACAF Surgeon Generals office contributed to this article.