The topic of Recognition is very controversial at the Air Force Academy for many reasons. The main debates are whether it is hazing vs. training, current restrictions on Recognition vs. how it used to be, how everyone gets Recognized (youth soccer attitude) vs. having some cadets pass and some fail, training in the squadron vs. at wing level, and the biggest of all which is whether it is even beneficial to have the event in the first place.
Basic Cadet Training does a fantastic job transforming immature unprepared civilians (and prior Airmen) into cadets ready to tackle the rigors of the Academy. Sure some slip through the cracks, but for the most part it instills discipline, integrity, and leadership into all who pass through it. For the enlisted force, OTS, and for the most part ROTC, this relatively short intense training period is enough to establish the core values of the military lifestyle. But for USAFA; it is only the beginning. We have to continue for an entire year in a restrictive environment because "it makes us better officers". Yes Recognition gives graduates of USAFA a tradition to hang on to, and is difficult to accomplish, but in the end does it really put us at a level far far above that of our peers which go through other commissioning sources?
I would argue we have to convince ourselves that it does, no matter what we actually think about the event. We have to buy into the fact that Recognition is a positive thing because it goes to the heart of why we have the Academy. Four years of suck is supposed to create superior officers than four weeks of suck. We say it gives us teamwork, togetherness, toughness, and heritage, but does it also transform us into the best officers in the Air Force?
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Coming from a freshman, but with 4 years of prior service, I ask myself the same question."Does it also transform us into the best officers in the Air Force?" It comforts me to see that even a senior about to graduate would be asking the same question. My personal opinion is that the very thought that we would be superior to the other officers, takes away from our officership since we will meet many that we should in fact be humbled by, especially the SNCOs and such, even the SrA and SSgts will be a vital part of the learning process for a 2Lt because they know the job inside and out, they are probably even training people. To best know how to run a shop, you gotta know the basics of the job, and an officer that really thinks he/she is superior to any other service member simply because of the Academy Experience has not put him/herself in the best position to learn. Another thing, the way in which they try to instill these values that are so superior is backwards. We don't see many people setting a genuine example, but when we do mess up, it is fear that most use to do that job that setting the example would have more effectively done. Many use fear because they have not been properly trained to be effective in any other way.
ReplyDeleteI think that there is one thing that does set academy graduates apart. It is the rough times we had here compared to other commissioning programs. They do expect more, which demands more passion for what we are doing, even though we moan and groan through it, if graduates didn't have such a passion and dedication to the Air Force, they would not have survived to graduation at all. So I do credit the Academy for weeding out the less passionate, less dedicated cadets, leaving only the determined and goal-driven to enter the air force. And that is something that when played right will be a good example for the newer Airmen who may not know what they want their path to be.
While I think we do crank out a lot of people who are goal-driven and motivated to serve in the Air Force, I don't think this is true about all graduates. For myself I know I've gone from a "hey! free school!" attitude toward a "let's do it America!" way of thinking. You also have many cadets, though, who barely get through this place on multiple Form 18s and by the time they're juniors it becomes too costly to leave. Especially in this economy, many times it is easier to have guaranteed job security than paying back for your education and diving into the real world.
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