What does the Air Force ‘owe’ me? Published Oct. 12, 2006 By Col. Francis Xavier 20th Mission Support Group SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- When I enlisted in the Air Force a little over 26 years ago, Jimmy Carter was president and American hostages were being held captive in Tehran. We had one common enemy-the Soviet Union -- whom we fortunately never had to fight. During my enlisted and officer career I've seen many changes. We've changed from that "cold war" deterrent force of over 600 thousand active duty members to an expeditionary force roughly half that size. Our Air Force today is deployed all over the globe with an operational tempo unlike anything we experienced in the 80s or 90s. So in many ways this Air Force is a very different organization than the one which I and many others of my generation joined. But in spite of all these changes, I believe at least one thing remains constant -- the Air Force still provides an unparalleled opportunity for those of us who recognize and take advantage of it. When you think about it, there are few organizations where young people can come in the door with a high school education and a little bit of ambition and then literally can fly as high as their desire and motivation take them. I joined the Air Force with some college credits and a few years of work experience behind me. My original motivation was to come into the Air Force, learn a technical skill, gain some work experience while finishing my college education, and then leave after four years. I soon discovered, however, that the Air Force is much more than a job training program. Within my first year I began to experience a sense of pride -- of being a part of something "much larger than myself." It was a satisfaction and sense of belonging that I had never experienced in civilian life. I felt like I was doing something important for my country, my family and myself. Pretty soon I began thinking less about leaving the Air Force and more about how I could stay. Now to the main point ... what does the Air Force "owe" me? The short answer is that after nearly three decades on active duty, I believe I still owe a debt to the Air Force that I can never fully repay -- I owe the Air Force much more than it "owes" me. Here's why: the Air Force "allowed" me to enlist, supported my desire to complete my undergraduate degree and gave me tuition assistance, accepted me into Officer Training School and granted me a commission, paid for 90% of my graduate degree and provided me with an opportunity to complete professional military education.The Air Force saw to it that I had quality medical care for myself and my family. The Air Force gave me a paycheck which has enabled me to support myself and my family -- we're not rich but we live very comfortably. Most important, the Air Force allowed me to feel the pride and sense of purpose that goes with being a member of the finest military organization on the planet. From time-to-time in my Air Force career I've run into folks who seem to think the Air Force "owes" them something. I bet you've met them too -- the people who always seem to be thinking about "what the Air Force can do for them." Here's the reality. The Air Force "owes" every one of us an honest day's pay for an honest day's work, access to quality medical care and a reasonable, visible and equitable opportunity for career advancement. That's about it. Everything else we get from the Air Force is a bonus -- in my view anyway -- and I would submit that most of us get more than we give. Even in these days of long and frequent deployments and family separations, I believe that when most of us total up the credit and debit columns we'll find the Air Force gives us much more than we give the Air Force. I will tell anyone who is willing to listen that the Air Force gave me an opportunity to achieve much more in life than if I had chosen a different path. So, after all this time I still feel like the luckiest person alive just to be fortunate enough to wear the Blue Suit. How about you?