Training and Trust: 2 Academy grads encourage cadets to be servant leaders

  • Published
  • By Amber Baillie
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  The most stress Lt. Col. Nicole Malachowski experienced in her Air Force career was flying close air support in Iraq in her F-15 Eagle, amid explosions and a torrent of bullets, all the while trying to understand what a young Airman under fire was screaming over the radio.

Malachowski, Class of '96, had minutes--if not seconds, to save lives and take out the enemy, she told cadets Sept. 19 during last day of the Academy's bi-annual Falcon Heritage Forum here.

"Train like you're going to fight," she said. "You don't (do anything half-heartedly) in your training. You don't cheat on tests to pass. You don't have time (if) you're being shot at in combat to pull out a cheat sheet and wonder, 'What am I supposed to do right here?' You want to know you have the skills and expertise, when history calls upon you in that moment, to be the right person at the right time."

Malachowski, the first woman to fly for the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's premier aerial demonstration team, and former fighter pilot retired Lt. Col. Robert Kay, Class of '78, responded candidly to cadets' questions on the stresses of combat, the importance of servant leadership and leadership opportunities the Academy allows cadets.

"What makes it possible for you to be decisive and effective in a stressful situation is what I call the 'Two T's': training and trust," Malachowski said. "In a flying squadron, you always fly with a wingman. You have to trust each other to be able to do the right thing and stick to the contract. Before each mission, you come up with a contract such as, 'If I say brake left, you brake left.' Adhere to the wingman contract and build that trust during training."

Don't do anything dumb, dangerous or different, Malachowski said.

"That's what I tell my wingman before we go into combat," she said. "I say, 'We have trained for this, we're ready for this, and be a help not a hindrance.'"

Kay, now a Northrop Grumman test pilot and consultant, amassed more than 5,000 flying hours during his active duty career. Kay, who knew he wanted to be a fighter pilot at age seven, was in an F-4 Phantom when a tire blew out and a fuel tank punctured at more than 100 mph during takeoff.

"It was hot, smoky, and I knew we had to get out of the aircraft before it blew up," he said. "Luckily, we quickly got out of there and it didn't explode. When you practice emergency procedures and flight simulation here, whether it's during powered flight or soaring, do it religiously. I know when I was at the Academy, I wanted to make sure if I faced an emergency someday-- I would know exactly what to do and why it happened."

Malachowski and Kay said servant leaders are the most important and effective.

"I've been doing this leadership thing for 40 years," Kay said. "In a leadership role, you are there to serve your people and care enough about them to know who they are, what's important to them, what's not important to them and what motivates them. You also need to know what you have to do as a leader to (successfully) achieve the goals and objectives of your unit. If you truly care about your people and communicate with them, they will do anything for you."

Servant leadership requires attention and time, Malachowski said.

"It will take time away from answering your emails, or working on your project, but too bad," she said. "If you want to do it right, you will take the time to get to know what that person and their family needs to thrive."

A cadet asked, "Is there anything you would have done differently here as cadet?"

"I would have done more to nurture and grow deep friendships with classmates," Malachowski said. "I was so focused when I came here as a freshman to do my best in academics, make the commandant's list and to become a soaring instructor pilot to get my pilot slot, I never really took time to enjoy being here. Most importantly I failed to create the time for personal relationships that I think would be serving me better today."

The Academy is a leadership laboratory, as it allows cadets to experience a variety of leadership roles, Kay said.

"These are your formative years," he said. "This institution trains you in officership and leadership. You've got to figure out why you are here, what you want from this institution and what it means to you. The Academy also teaches you about moral courage, which is probably every bit as difficult as physical courage in combat. It's a courage that is needed in every aspect of your life."