SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Often times, as members of the Air Force, we develop a perspective that our creature comforts are required for our success in the combat theater. Here at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, we are fortunate to live in a college dorm type complex with a running track, swimming pool, basketball court and many other amenities that make our lives here rather comfortable. However, we sometimes lose track of what is required to be successful in our mission and develop the perception that what is a benefit or creature comfort is now a right of our existence here.

Throughout my service in the U.S. military I have not always been a member of the Air Force. My career started many years ago as a Soldier in the U.S. Army. In my first 13 years, as a Soldier, I developed a different perspective about what is required and what is desired to be successful in an operational environment such as ours. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the creature comforts that the Air Force has provided and would not want to lose any of them myself. On the other hand, there are times when we need to sacrifice some of those comforts for the sake of our mission.

If you really want to get an eye-opening perspective of life in the combat theater, just ask the Soldiers here at the 380th AEW that are on their second or third deployment, what they think about the accommodations we have provided them at our installation. You may find out, especially from the senior officers and enlisted, that throughout their entire careers they have never lived in a place as nice as here, while deployed. In fact, just the other day I was talking to an Army senior non-commissioned officer who commented that throughout his entire career, he has never deployed to place as nice as this and would probably never have the privilege to do it again.

Just remember, we all need to create a proper perspective on what is truly required for us to be successful in our mission and not take for granted all the privileges and amenities we are provided. They are just that, privileges and amenities that are not required for us to be successful in our wartime mission. So, if you are ever asked to make changes, just remember they might be necessary in order to remain successful in our wing's mission--to Fly, Fight and Win in Air, Space and Cyberspace.