Commandant of Cadets reveals 2015 vector

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachel Hammes
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Stephen Williams held a Commandant's Call detailing his vector, the yearly statement of subjects he wants cadets to focus on for the next semester going forward, at Arnold Hall Jan. 5.

The Commandant's Vector focused on accountability, relevant training, leadership and taking ownership of the Academy's image through action.

"I want the rest of the world to see you the way I see you," he said.

Williams also said he wanted to make his vector personal.

"Rather than just handing cadets a memo, I wanted to articulate it in person," he said. "I spoke after Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson held her Superintendent's Call for the Classes of '15 and '16 to reinforce the message specifically to each class."

While Williams addressed each class regarding his concerns and expectations, his vector remains the same for all cadets.

"I broke down my vector using the Air Force Core Values: integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do, to tie each core value to our day-to-day lives," he said. "The more you can link it, the more you'll understand why you do it."

The Commandant's Vector typically focuses on specific issues, such as sexual assault or community service, but William's vector was intentionally broad.

Talking about integrity, he specifically tied it to respect. "We can do so many things when we understand the value of respect," he said to cadets. "When we fall short of our core values, we let ourselves, our team mates, this institution and the Air Force, down. We don't operate in a vacuum - our actions affect everyone."

While discussing service before self, Williams challenged cadets to always step into leadership positions when the time comes.

"Sometimes, we have folks willing to put in time and effort to fill leadership roles, but they lack the support of other cadets," he said. "This doesn't help. It's really easy to throw spears at people in leadership roles and criticize their work, but if we're unwilling to step up and take some of those positions, we're not helping the team. We value feedback and constructive criticism, but at the same time, there's a point where we have to support and follow."

Williams also discussed the importance of cadet community service. Cadets volunteered more than 40,000 hours of their time last year to support their community, he said.

"We're working hard to connect the dots between community service, the beneficiaries of that service time, and communicating to our community the great things we're doing," he said. "When people hear about the Academy, they'll know we're doing great things."

With regards to excellence in all we do, Williams said the biggest point to emphasize is excellent performance, even when it doesn't directly benefit oneself.

"We need to realize we're not just doing things for ourselves, but for those next to us, too," he said. "When we go into combat, we need to know we're fighting for our whole organization, not just ourselves. A lot of people think, 'How does this affect me?', and that's not the concern of the commander. The concern of the commander is, 'How does this affect the organization?' We have to understand that sometimes, things that aren't good individually are better for the organization. The sooner we recognize this, the better."

Williams emphasized General Johnson's point to the Class of 2015 and 2016 earlier that day.

"The superintendent emphasized that we don't just wake up one morning a leader - we have to continually practice to become a leader," he said. "We have to take advantage of the incredible opportunities presented here to be good leaders and take care of our people. We don't sleep with a book under our pillow and wake up with all of it internalized. We internalize leadership skills by doing, practicing and experiencing."

Lastly, Williams challenged cadets to seize opportunities presented to them at the Academy and in the Air Force at large.

"The Air Force provides us all opportunities, but what we do with those opportunities is our responsibility," he said to cadets. "How you use these opportunities defines how you do after you graduate. As second lieutenants, you will be presented with more opportunities. If you do well, the Air Force will give you more opportunities. We don't owe you success, but do we owe you the opportunity to succeed."

(To see the report on General Johnson's Superintendent's Call, visit www.usafa.af.mil.)