ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Get to know the Airman of the Month for April, Airman 1st Class Christopher Platt, 97th Force Support Squadron force management technician from Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
How do you stay ahead of the curve and ensure you're always prepared to excel, regardless of the challenges that may arise?
Regardless of the inevitable challenges I’ll face, I stay ahead of the curve by being hungry for knowledge and having that drive to exceed expectations, impress, and be at least 1% better than I was yesterday. One of the Air Force’s core values I implement daily with both work and personal life is ‘Excellence in All We Do’. I work hard even when nobody is watching. The utmost important thing to me that prepares me to excel is my attitude. In my opinion, having a positive mentality is the key to success because it dictates your resiliency and your drive to strive for success.
What piece of advice would you give to a fellow Airman who is striving to embody the same level of excellence and dedication that earned you this recognition?
Work hard, even when nobody is watching, and be yourself. There are always eyes watching you, even when you think nobody is. If you keep consistently working to support our mission, you will be recognized whether it’s today, tomorrow, or even months or years from now. Your moment will come when you least expect it.
How have you seen the principle of meritocracy reflected in your work environment at Altus, and how does it motivate you to perform at your best?
The principle of meritocracy is reflected here by recognizing individuals for their hard work and accomplishments, which then leads to being placed in positions to continue achieving new heights in their careers. While I am aware of the possibility of receiving accolades for my work, that is not the sole purpose as to why I’m motivated to perform my best. I genuinely enjoy serving people and knowing that I am positively impacting an individual’s career, ensuring that they can focus on the mission, free of any administrative worries that could negatively impact their career.
What does holding yourself and your peers accountable to the highest standards look like in your daily work, and how does it contribute to overall mission readiness?
In Force Management, we all hold each other accountable to the highest standards and nothing less. We all take the initiative to learn from each other, learn from mistakes, and improvise to make the process much more efficient the next go around. The way we look out for each other as wingmen and bounce off each other overall improves work efficiency and production, ultimately ensuring everybody is prepared to execute the mission.
How do you embody warrior ethos in your everyday duties, even if your job isn't directly combat-related?
It stems from all the way back to the basics, the Air Force core values, but specifically ‘service before self’. My job may not be combat-related, but I contribute in important ways as a personnelist. I am responsible for an Airman’s administrative records; If they are unable to perform their duties because I am not doing my job due to my own selfish desires, we are failing to maintain our status as the world’s greatest Air Force. When I think of warrior ethos and apply it to the military, I think of a spear and its lethality. Just like the military, a spear is made up of different components that make it effective, and without one part or the other, it is useless. As personnelists, we are not the spearhead, but rather the shaft. While the spearhead is responsible for initiating contact, without the shaft, nothing is driving that spearhead to make it much more lethal.