Ty Gunnlaugsson One of the Air Force Core Values is "Integrity First"; what does this mean to you?

I first heard the word integrity after beginning martial arts training. Integrity is one of the tenants of Tae Kwon Do. My sensei explained to us that a martial artist is a person of integrity and it is important that you live a life of integrity. I began to know the meaning of integrity as simply being honest and to never lie. As I grew older the word integrity began to have more meaning. Integrity isn't something you just do; a person's integrity defines their character. Integrity is very difficult to earn but very easy to lose. My sensei explained integrity like this, "look at the white of your karate uniform." He explained. "The white represents your integrity to me. As of this moment I trust all of you, but as soon as you violate your integrity and my trust, it is like getting mustard sprayed on the white of your uniform. Every time you walk into a room your white uniform shows the mustard stains and it reflects on your character. As you begin to show integrity it is like washing your uniform, however not all of the mustard stains will come off. People will still remember the time you let them down and didn't show integrity." As my instructor said in one instance of lack of integrity could seriously damage your relations with other people and their view of your character forever. Integrity is your moral compass, and is the willingness to do the right thing even when no one else is looking. As a person of integrity, if i say that I'm going to do something, then I will do everything in my power to get the task accomplished. If t can't do what I promised, then I let the person know that I am unable before passing the deadline. When I joined Civil Air Patrol and later Air Force Junior ROTC, both of which have Air Force roots the word integrity gained even more meaning to me. As a

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professional organization to be successful, members of the Air Force must practice Integrity. Placing integrity first can be a difficult thing at times. It takes courage to admit that you did something wrong or that you are responsible for an accident because it could mean you will face sometimes serious consequences. However that act of courage in telling the truth shows in your character that you will admit that you did wrong. A person of integrity doesn't need to hide anything from their coworkers or people they interact with. A person of integrity promotes a sense of openness; they never have a problem with someone observing what they do. As a military organization this is extremely important because there is a major trust factor that is required to operate in such a hostile environment. If I was a pilot in the Air Force about to fly a mission over enemy territory I would need to be able to trust my maintenance personnel when they say the aircraft is airworthy. If the people servicing the aircraft are not of integrity and pencil whip reports that could mean life or death for hundreds of people. Integrity isn't only important to the Air Force, Integrity is a vital aspect of your whole life. Integrity defines your character. A person's character is apparent to all whom he/she comes in contact with.

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