The Art of the March

While at Keesler I have the privilege to march flights (common word used for groups) of Airmen from as little as 4 to as large as 49.  I use the word privilege very deliberately because leading a flight puts a flight commander (the one leading the flight) in charge of how well the entire flight performs and most importantly their safety.  Little nuances develop when magnified by dozens of Airmen doing them at synchronized moments.  For instance, making a left turn and then making a sharper left turn can quickly make a fine looking flight look like a disaster (trust me, I know).  Additionally, things like all Airmen marching in step with limited to no movement from their waste up is a recipe for a well performing flight as is keeping in line with the Airmen to your side.  You might be reading this and be thinking “what is the big deal?”.  The big deal is that how we conduct ourselves during the “little things in life” reflects our integrity and discipline in how we will conduct ourselves when given more responsibility.  A lesson that is invaluable given the important responsibility that is granted to those who actively serve, have served and will serve in the U.S. military.    

One of the first things an Airman learns in basic training is how to march.  As far as the power of one thought it is pretty simple enough; moving groups of people from point A to point B in an orderly fashion.  During training we start out with the fundamentals and gradually piece them together as we become more proficient.  If you asked some you might get answers that it is a waste of time, or that it is pointless.  However, ask someone that understands it better and you will see why it is ingrained in the training process for thousands of trainees year after year.  My explanation simple: marching is a practical tool that instills discipline in those involved that crosses over in our daily lives.

Marching is not a new concept.  In the U.S. military it dates all the way back to revolutionary times with George Washington’s Army with the help of Prussian officer Baron von Steuben with the intent to quickly assemble troops in tactical formations and instill discipline.  This tradition has carried on today despite the modernization of the nations’ military.  From my point of view it is easy to see why.

Just as the flight must keep this lesson in mind so should the flight commander who sets the tone for the entire flight.  When a flight commander remembers he/she is there to put service before self and confidently lead their flight with discipline it translates into a group of men and women who are more likely to trust their leader and strive to do the little things right.  Each little critique and little correction in marching can be seen as the finely brushed strokes that make up the finishing touches to a fine piece of art.  As you go about your day remember the little things in life and the discipline that allows you to focus on them.  March on and paint your masterpiece. 

Two Wolves to Feed

Have you ever been so angry you can hardly stand it?  You know what I am talking about.  I’m talking about that “Monday afternoon stuck in rush hour, you just got cut off in traffic and you have a million things to get done at home and not enough time” feeling.  We all have different ways to handle this and personally I have found running helps.  This past week it was very therapeutic as I dealt with things here as the effects of home sickness started to get stronger.  As I ran I felt great as I broke out to a fast pace for the first couple miles of my run.  “BAM BAM BAM” as my feet slapped the pavement at a brisk pace.  The interesting thing is my overall pace was slower because I started out too fast.  This got me thinking of how different powerful feelings motivate us.

Anger is a powerful feeling that can be shown in outbursts, but how long can you sustain it?  I feel anger, even righteous anger, can only power you for so long before your tank runs out.  The days I have ran with anger as my true motivator I have ran the slowest in the long run (although it acts as a great venting method for anger).  What has motivated me during my best runs?  The answer to that is when I am focused on the children over in Haiti that I am raising money for.  I envision specific children that I saw when I visited and I link it with recent news of hurricane Isaac moving through Haiti and its’ disastrous impact.  I would summarize this feeling as a feeling of love, or more specifically compassion.  The word compassion defined as “to suffer with”, or to be moved to act for another.  Whereas anger is a flare that is bright and powerful that extinguishes over time, I argue that compassion is a fire within that burns steady and strong and will only go out if we fail in fueling it.

Which one will you choose: anger, or compassion?  As a member of the 336^th Red Wolves Training Squadron I find the following short story perfect for explaining how we all answer this question.

                                                        

A Cherokee elder sitting with his grandchildren told them, “In every life there is a terrible fight—a fight between two wolves. One is evil: he is fear, anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, and deceit. The other is good: joy, serenity, humility, confidence, generosity, truth, gentleness, and compassion.” A child asked, “Grandfather, which wolf will win?” The elder looked him in the eye. He answered“The one you feed.”

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend.

Hurricanes and Hope

As some of you have followed, Hurricane Issac is currently making its’ way across the Gulf as it contemplates where to land.  Experts expect it to hit somewhere between Louisiana and Florida.  A quick glance at a map will show you Keesler Air Force Base lies right in the middle of those two points.  So as we here at Keesler prepare for another week of class and training we also prepare to welcome our stormy friend Issac.

Before we talk about where the hurricane is going let’s talk about where it has been.  The last couple days have been tense for areas in the Caribbean including the orphanage that I am running for in Titanyen Haiti.  While mudslides, tragic stories of deaths and injuries occurred across a still healing country I received a message of hope this morning.  The Maranatha House passed the storm with relatively little damage despite the strong winds and rain (damage did occur on parts of the roof on the cafeteria building).  Part of this has been because of money raised for new buildings on the compound in the past and most recently strong window shutters (installed within the last 2 weeks) that kept the weather at bay.  It is wonderful to have sincere prayers answered and to express to you all that your support and donations equate to the protection and service for a country and people that is far from recovered. 

I had hope for Haiti with the hurricane approaching this past week and that hope was fulfilled.  I remind myself of that hope this week as Issac is likely to become more up close and personal for those along the U.S. Gulf Coast including myself.  The power of one thought has shown and will continue to show itself in different ways in our lives.  Currently it is rearing its’ head as a thought of hope.

Hope has come in handy this past week as I think beyond the current hurricane situation.  I have been motivated and inspired by having people read my blog and wish me encouragement.  In fact a close relative has chosen to run the marathon with me after hearing about this blog.  However, with all of this positive I face the grim reality of the financial goals of the One Thought Away project.  My original goal of $3,400 set in May seems hard to accomplish with donations totaling less than $1,000 thus far.  I know I am not running in vain as I already have seen positive change in people through this even if we never raised a single dollar. 

However, powerful thoughts lead to powerful actions and I hope the powerful thoughts that you all have shared with me and those that kindle inside you will manifest into powerful actions.  Please understand that the dollars donated do not sit idle, but are managed to have the largest impact possible for the Maranatha Village orphanage and the immediate Titanyen community such as the recent shutters installed at the orphanage.  In a recent interview ABC news reported:

“Jean-Robert Sauviren, an unemployed 63-year-old father of six said as he stood barefoot in the water and held aloft his arms. ‘Maybe we don't deserve anything.’”

We need powerful actions because that is what allows us to put shutters on buildings to protect from hurricanes, it is what allows us to rush the children to Cholera clinics and it is what allows us to remind a burdened group of people that they are loved and cared for and they do count for something.

I have hope you read this.  I have faith you will act on how you feel drawn to.  I have love that love is the reason we will act.

Hope, faith and love; what else do we need? J

Read my original post on details of how you can support here

http://miles-dodge.blogspot.com/2012/05/one-thought-away.html

Just Run

Have you ever heard the phrase paralysis by over analysis?  I suffer from this condition from time to time.  It describes the condition when one is so concerned with preparation, or analyzing a situation to an extreme where they actually do not do anything.  This morning was a perfect example.  I was having trouble with my phone app that measures how much I run which allows me to post maps for you all to track my progress.  I literally spent 15 minutes tapping my phone and talking to my phone and to myself trying to get it to work.  Phrases like “come on come on, hurry up, please just work!” and thoughts of when my next phone upgrade sprinted through my head.  Then it hit me of why I was out there.  I was out there to run.  Not to spend my morning fiddling with my phone and getting frustrated.  Do not misunderstand me.  I still feel preparation and measuring success is important for the long run, but in situations like this morning it shouldn’t take away from that core purpose of what you are doing. 

With this in mind I put my iTunes on shuffle and just ran.  Running without a pace in my head, or a focus on how much longer I had to run, I just ran; it was a liberating feeling.  A feeling that I invite you all to allow in your life from time to time during the course of your schedules, appointments and must dos.  Let your feet hit the ground and feel that freedom in each step and just run.  The longer you run you are reminded of the powerful thoughts within you.  The thoughts of ones far away that you care for, thoughts of past, present and future and thoughts of ones who inspire you to run. 

You have probably realized by now that running is just a vehicle or metaphor that represents different situations in our lives.  This post is no different.  When you find yourself this week overthinking something, or having anxiety over preparing for something remember what you read here.  Don’t let overthinking stop you in your tracks, just run.  

Miles

*http://theforgetfulwife.com/13-1/

Excellence In All We Do...Little Things Make Big Things Happen

The third and final core value of the Air Force is “Excellence In All We Do”.  When I think of excellence I am reminded of one of my favorite role models 10 time NCAA Basketball Champion Coach John Wooden.  My admiration for him goes beyond his success on the basketball court to include his entire approach to life on and off the court.  He coached and practiced excellence in all he did.  Practices began and ended at specific times because he believed in maintaining discipline and a balanced schedule to ensure time for things such as family.  So focused on detail that he taught how to properly wear your basketball socks to prevent the possibility of blisters.  With a keen eye on such meticulous detail Coach Wooden believed in making “each day a masterpiece” and exemplified the core value excellence in all we do.

When basic military training was beginning and our group of 48 young men in Flight 475 were being introduced to the core values I thought of leaders like Coach Wooden and how high of a standard excellence is to live up to.  The first couple of weeks it would be safe to say our flight struggled to obtain excellence as we went through what many call the “forming, storming, norming and performing” cycle that describes how new groups behave when coming together.  However, just like a runner pushes past that mental wall to get that extra mile, or refuse to hit the snooze button on a Saturday morning to go train we kept pushing forward.  We were not without our struggles, or day to day failures, but who isn’t?  Coach Wooden believed “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be” and so what did we do?  We learned from our mistakes, we developed, we changed and each found our roles on the team and strove for excellence in those roles daily.  The result?  Flight 475 walked away with the following honors.

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• Beast Excellence:  Awarded to the winning zone of a 5 day outdoor simulated deployment exercise between all squadrons.
• Warrior Flight:  Awarded to flights achieving a point threshold recognizing achievements in military training over the span of 8 weeks (the only Warrior flight out of all squadrons)
•  7 Honor Graduates:  Awarded to individual Airman who graduate in the top 10% of all graduates
•  Honor Flight:  Awarded to the best flight in their graduating class

It was very exciting to be a part of this and even more excited in how we did it.  We paid attention to the little details like reading directions, keeping our arms straight while marching and keeping our bearing when asked questions.  This is exciting because it gives us all the potential to be excellent in all we do by doing the little things with excellence.  Coach Wooden says it best, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen“.  What is your big thing and what little things are keeping you from it?

Do not be afraid of failing when striving for excellence, but also do not be afraid to strive. 

I triple dog dare you J.

Miles

P.S.  Thank you everybody for your support.  I am still collecting donations for the cause in Haiti with Ncompass.  If you have been following this for a while and feel moved to support more read over how to donate here: http://miles-dodge.blogspot.com/2012/05/one-thought-away.html.



Sources
*http://www.littlethingsmatter.com/blog/2010/06/08/committed-to-excellence-a-tribute-to-john-wooden/

Service Before Self...a snowball in Mississippi

Continuing on from last week’s post today we take a look at the core value of “Service Before Self”.  With that in mind I want to focus on some of the people I have been blessed to meet during my short time with the Air Force who have put service before self.

Standing in line to pick up my dry cleaning last week I overhear an Airman in front of me.  I catch part of what he says and realize he is Haitian; what are the odds?  Over the past week I have had a chance to speak with Kender.  A man from Massachusetts proud of his family and more than happy to discuss the intricacies of communicating whether it be body language, English, or French.  Someone who has dreams; dreams that include serving those in his family, in his neighborhood back home and this country.

Switching gears slightly.  I am staring at my training plan and am distracted by the pain in my foot while I wonder how to keep up my training without causing a more serious injury.  Ask and you shall receive.  Along with a number of tips from friends from back home I also meet Airman Ehler from Ohio.  I realize he is a former Division I long distance runner.  What are the odds?  After further discussion with him I gain a friend willing to coach me on running and someone here to serve his country plain and simple.

The fact I am in the same squadron at Keesler with a Haitian and an experienced long distance runner while training for a marathon to support a Haitian orphanage may be chalked up as a cool coincidence.  The fact I run into Airmen daily who are here to serve others is not a coincidence.  I am very proud to be a part of the Air Force and have learned a lot about service from those around me.  Seeing others serve inspires oneself to serve others.  That creates a service snowball effect that has the potential to grow and grow.  Notice those serving around you and let it build you, but don’t let the snowball stop with you; keep rolling along and serve others.  Who knows, you might be the start of an avalanche.

Integrity First...being consistent in the little things

Greetings!

I am excited to be writing again on this blog and reconnect with all those supporting the One Thought Away project that will culminate in me running the Portland Marathon October 7^th.  I am also excited because the fact that I am writing you means I now have internet access which I have not had since May due to Air Force basic military training.  Thanks for being patient J

Based on the ultimate goal of this blog being to dialogue the power of one thought, I felt it would make sense to reflect on how the last 2 months of my life in training connects to this concept.  In my modest attempt to describe a challenging and transformative 8 week process I will break it down in a three part series.  Each piece will connect to one of the three core values of the Air Force: Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.

Integrity First

What can making your bed correctly and folding your clothes teach someone about integrity?  This is a thought a basic trainee has a lot of time to ponder as he or she attempts to master a hospital corner at 4:45am morning after morning, or roll a pair of socks perfectly.  Once you can understand the meaning behind such tasks it makes perfect sense.  Attention to detail and doing something the right way is the goal.  If they cannot trust you to roll socks properly why should the world’s most powerful air force trust you to handle top secret data or equipment worth millions?

In the course of 8 weeks I noticed the majority of mistakes made by myself and my flight mates were due to poor attention to detail or inconsistency in such simple tasks.  This translates to a lack of integrity at certain moments because we were not always consistent.  Keeping in mind the logic mentioned above around why doing simple tasks correctly is important you can see how this is detrimental. 

Speaking of myself I received corrections for such things as missing a spot on my neck shaving, or not putting my shoes in the correct order under my bed (both are basic expectations during training).  I remember in these early mistakes I caused them for two reasons.  First, I let fatigue get the best of me and rushed in order to get done sooner.  Second, I felt what I had done was “good enough”.  That my friend is where the danger lies!  Allowing the power of a negative thought to creep in and to accept it can be a slippery slope to settling for less.  To counter this we need to remember to be disciplined, pay attention to detail and have integrity.  Integrity is not doing something right once, or twice. 

Integrity is doing something right consistently whether someone is watching, or not.   Actions whether good or bad go beyond representing yourself; they also speak for who you represent.  On my uniform there are two names across my chest.  One is "Dodge" and the other is "U.S. Air Force".  You better believe I want to make both those namesakes proud. Who do you represent with your actions?

When you find yourself getting lazy, or letting your guard down remember this one thought: integrity first. 

Yes, even if it is rolling a pair of socks J

Miles

Keep your eye out next week for a piece connecting to Service Before Self and the connection to the power of one thought.