Los Angeles AFB Community Pride Published April 4, 2007 By Capt. David Berling Space Radar Los Angeles Air Force Base -- Webster's dictionary defines pride as "a delight or elation arising from some act ..." Being a military member, a professional voluntarily serving our country, requires us to hold ourselves to the highest of interpersonal standards. We need to remain professional in our activities, and we perform them with the utmost care because we receive joy and satisfaction in knowing that what we are doing is right and we are performing to the best of our ability. This elation brought on by an act is exactly what Webster defines as "pride." As members of Los Angeles Air Force Base, this pride can be labeled Los Angeles Community Pride. As a Los Angeles AFB representative, our actions directly influence the public's perception of the military. Each individual's public action is held in judgment for our entire Los Angeles military population. Everyday, through our demonstration of Los Angeles Community Pride, we directly influence those with whom we interact, and indirectly, everyone with whom they come into contact. Is our influence "rippling" through others carrying our basic Los Angeles Community Pride? All of us can benefit from a few reminders on how easy it is to have the Los Angeles Community Pride. Incorporating a small three-step action plan into our lives results in a large gain of pride for our selves, for our base, and for our community. 1. Improve positive personal daily practices: Arrive at work on time in a well-pressed uniform, well-rested yet in Air Force fitness standards and ready to work every day. Maintain a positive attitude toward yourself and your work duties. 2. Interact positively with others. Take someone else's shopping cart back at the base exchange or commissary, police the grounds or simply be courteous to others. Positive interaction with others allows us to make a difference in another individual's life. 3. Contribute to a greater good - something to be shared by many individuals of the community. Join a pro-active program that improves the base and the local community. The Junior Enlisted Association, Top Three and the Company Grade Officers associations participate in projects that benefit others on a larger scale. These activities include blood drives, Habitat for Humanity, Adopt a Family and reading programs. All of these provide an opportunity to support the base and local community. Participation in these programs is a tangible contribution to those on base and others living in the community. Never hesitate to take the second and third steps of showing pride. Sharing yourself to make a positive difference in other people's lives can provide you with one of life's best feelings. Great accomplishments are achieved through the synergy created by the collective actions of the group of individuals. All of us can commit to incorporate these three steps into our lives. Doing so will improve ourselves, and together, our Los Angeles Community Pride will radiate throughout our base and community. From April 29 through May 15, Los Angeles AFB will be host to Space Command's Inspector General Team. While they are inspecting squadrons and wings actions and processes, we are also on display. On a grander scale, the inspection is a window for Air Force Leadership to see our actions demonstrating our pride in our base and community. As we host these inspection teams, members separated from home and family to do their duty, we can go above our current mission and welcome them into our Los Angeles AFB community. While exhibiting our professionalism during the inspections, we can provide each team member a dose of Los Angeles Community Pride extended to them as we would to any of our Los Angeles family members. By honestly and willingly sharing ourselves to make their stay the most comfortable and heart-warming as possible, they will feel our Los Angeles Community Pride. While the results of the inspections will be based on past performance of our duties, the team's perception of Los Angeles AFB will be based on our current interactions. Our friendly and positive approach toward them will shine like a beacon on Los Angeles AFB that they will not be able to ignore. Each of us can make a difference. Let your Los Angeles Community Pride guide your actions and make the inspection teams' experience at Los Angeles AFB memorable.