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Importance of morale

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Steven J. Milby
  • 20th Maintenance Group
The United States Air Force has stood guard and defended this great nation in air, space, cyberspace and on the ground through the determination, skill and bravery of American Airmen.

The Air Force has accomplished this feat based upon the belief that people and platforms are the foundation of a fully-ready force using the five pillars of readiness: critical skills availability, weapon system sustainment, training, flying hour program and deployment cycles.

After 29 years of service and experiences, I believe one of the most important elements not mentioned is morale.

"It is not enough to fight,” said former General George C. Marshall, past Army chief of staff. “It is the spirit we bring to the fight that decides the issue. It is morale that wins the victory."

The success of any unit is dependent upon many fundamental components, but morale can make or break a unit and mission. Therefore, morale must be considered while looking through the lenses of leadership and wellness.

Success does not happen without leadership. Leadership directly affects unit morale which is the fuel for success.

The command team establishes and sets the morale tone for the unit. Leaders can establish the morale tone through many basic leadership traits, such as genuinely caring for Airmen and family, providing opportunity for development, compassion, fairness and fostering esprit de corps.

Leadership can be expanded upon extensively, but having a strong leadership commitment cultivates strong morale across the unit.

Another key morale component is wellness.

Wellness is so much more than physical health, exercise or nutrition. It is the full integration of physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

The seven wellness dimensions of social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual, and physical wellness interact in a way that contributes to our quality of life.

Pursuing growth and balance in these dimensions will enable Airmen to become more resilient and motivated, resulting in improved morale.

“Another element to be considered is the man to be led, with whose morale we are concerned,” said retired General Omar Bradley, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman. “I am constantly reminded of this point by a cartoon which hangs over my desk at home depicting an infantryman with his rifle across his knees as he sits behind a parapet. Above him is the list of the newest weapons science has devised and the soldier behind the parapet is saying, ‘But still they haven't found a substitute for me.’”

These words still hold true today, stressing the importance of an Airman’s morale over technology, creating a mental state of preparedness and motivating performance and productivity to fulfill mission needs.

I have seen morale be the key factor to mission success even when the odds and resources were against us.

Mission success can be traced back to a strong leadership team who created a solid leadership and wellness foundation.

Morale has and will continue to play a significant role in the defense of the nation, so it should not be overlooked or taken lightly.