Leadership Lessons: Embrace the here and now

  • Published
  • By Maj. T.J. Oziemblowsky
  • 319th Force Support Squadron commander
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  To this point in my Air Force career, I have been stationed at eight bases. To be honest, sometimes I felt like as though the Air Force made a mistake sending me to some of those bases! But I always put "service before self" and made them into fun, interesting assignments. In the end, I left each base with great memories, and I believe Grand Forks will be one of the best assignments in my Air Force career.

Walking around base I am often surprised to hear Airmen say there is not a lot to do. Some even tell me they are bored at Grand Forks AFB! If you feel this way, I challenge you to consider what it means to serve our nation, and what "service before self" really means to you.

First of all, I'm here to tell you there are things to do and enjoy at Grand Forks! Check out the Force Support website, www.forksupport.com, or the FSS calendar in Outlook and you'll see we have an Independence Day 5K on July 2, a "Triple 8" event on July 9, a "Dancing in the Street" party on August 9, Summer Bash on August 21, and AMC Icon talent contest on August 22. We have tons of smaller events going on between these big events, and we plan on doing bigger, better, and faster events in the near future! Stay tuned to a Force Support advertisement near you for the latest information!

To bring you the fun you want, we need your help! First, we need you to tell us what type of entertainment you want us to bring to Grand Forks AFB. This could include: comedy acts, bands, dances, and holiday events with very nice prizes you can win by either attending or planning them. We also need you to get involved and come to base and community events. Just by putting on your best "service before self" attitude, you can step outside the box and have a little fun. Together we can turn this really cold base into a very fun place! It all starts with getting involved!

It's so easy to lean back and sink into a boredom funk. Rather than accepting this boredom, you should shake things up and show the base your community spirit! Get involved, and YOUR FSS will help carry out those great ideas successfully! Plus, we'll give you incentives to step up to the plate and knock exciting event home runs that everyone will love! Don't wait! Get engaged in the base community today! Together we can exemplify "service before self," benefit the entire base community, and have fun while we're doing it! I look forward to hearing your ideas for base events and enjoying them alongside you!