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Celebrating those who walk the second-mile

  • Published
  • By Col. John Michel
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing commander
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  This past Friday, a packed house of Warriors of the North, spouses, community leaders and the eighth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Sam Parish, gathered in the Northern Lights Club to celebrate our annual awards ceremony. In a beautifully decorated club reminiscent of an academy awards caliber event, we collectively enjoyed the opportunity to recognize those teammates amongst us who routinely choose to go the second mile for others in their homes, workplaces, worship spaces and communities.

Teammates who remind us how blessed we are to be members of the finest Air Force the world has ever known.

For those of us who proudly wear the cloth of this nation, this willingness to go the second-mile translates into willfully going above and beyond the call to duty: to surrender ourselves in service to others in ways that fall far outside the confines of our often narrow job descriptions - to routinely sacrifice our own comfort and welfare for the benefit of another.

You see, life along the second-mile is about habitually shedding any thoughts of self interest and choosing instead to accomplish what's NOT your duty. To routinely give more than you take. To regularly do more good than others may seem to deserve.

To always go further than is required to help others grow into their fullest potential.

Sadly, many people in the world would rather strive to gain a second-helping instead of go a second-mile. They love the idea of living an abundant life along the path of least resistance.

Doing only what they must to get by; content living life along the first mile.

On the first mile, people chose to stand on their own. They're doing what any good person would do. Their reward is the applause of crowd and the satisfaction of a job adequately done. They see what could be accomplished if they we're to give their very best effort, but choose not to pursue it.

And as a result, they stay where they are.

They stagnate.

But this reality does not hold true for the second-mile leaders in America's "BRING IT!" Wing ...

The kind of leaders we honored Friday night.

No.

They choose instead to routinely go the second mile. To stretch further, work harder, and raise the bar higher so they can contribute to building a better world ... one selfless act at a time.

These incredible teammates choose the path less traveled because they strive to live an abundant life: a life that helps them fully realize that what's most important is never what they get for themselves, but what they give to make life better for others.

Hence, when people encounter someone fully sold out to going the second mile, they don't see a person who only does what they must to accomplish the task at hand. Instead, they see someone committed to living an integrated life. Someone who places service over self in pursuit of excellence in all they do.

In essence, they see a selfless leader who knows that the difference between the first mile and the second mile is a million miles apart. But they still choose to walk the path less traveled anyway.

Not because they have to, but because they choose to.

Simply because that's what second-mile leaders do.

So again, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to those we honored at this ceremony...the best of the best in a wing filled with champions:

Airman category: Senior Airman Kimberly Edmonds, 319th Force Support Squadron

NCO category: Staff Sgt. Samantha Birk, 319 FSS

Senior NCO category: Master Sgt. Shannon Rix, 319 FSS

Company grade officer category: Capt. Henry Moon III, 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron

First sergeant category: Master Sgt. Brian Huber, 319 LRS

Civilian category one: Terence Beasley, 319th Medical Support Squadron

Civilian category two: David McCullough, 319th Civil Engineer Squadron

Honor guard category: Staff Sgt. Jacob Gjesvold, 319th Operations Group

Thank you all for serving as guiding lights to those in your care and for representing all that is best in each and every one of us.

For choosing everyday not to succumb to the temptation of pursuing only what's best for you, but for willfully giving yourself away in service to others.

For understanding that leadership has nothing to do with the rank you wear or even where you fit in the organizational chart and everything with how you choose to conduct yourself in the normal occurrences of everyday life. Regardless if anyone is watching.

And for making our Air Force's core values of Integrity, Service and Excellence not mere words to be spoken but a lifestyle to be lived and emulated.

A lifestyle we in this great wing know as going the second mile.