Airmen's attitude can mean everything during base's June ORI Published May 4, 2007 By Frank Weber 554th Electronic Systems Wing Director Hanscom AFB, Mass. -- Attitude is everything. It's what drives us to bring to life our core values of Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. In June, we will have the opportunity to demonstrate to ourselves and our leadership just how much we really embody those core values as we go into the Operational Readiness Inspection. ORI's are challenging, and deliberately so. But success requires more than the ability to recite a checklist, to run a Wartime Materiel Support exercise, or to scramble into your chem gear during a Camp Patriot deployed operation. It demands that every one of us maintains (and spreads!) a positive attitude and sense of urgency in everything, whether it's in the leadup or the actual execution of the ORI itself. Remember that the IG team -- and your teammates and wingmen -- are not only watching what you do, but how you do it! One of the most remarkable things about attitude is that it is extremely infectious. In the face of adversity, one person with the right positive attitude can raise the morale and performance of the entire team regardless of any extremely difficult situation. Contrast this with someone with a poor attitude who can cripple a team's morale and its ability to get the job done even in the best of times. One of my favorite examples of the power of a positive attitude is the true story of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who desired more than anything to play football at Notre Dame despite his small size and lack of physical talent. You'll recall from the biographical movie that he inspired his teammates to pursue new levels of excellence with an unstoppable drive. Rudy only got to "suit up" in one game in two years. But as a result of his positive attitude on the practice field and in the locker room, his teammates were willing to give up their chance to play in their last game as seniors if that's what it took to get him on the field. One person with an amazing impact on an entire team! As I said, the ORI will be challenging. But more importantly it's an opportunity to show how good we really are, that we can "walk the talk" as teammates and wingmen. You, and your attitude, will be key to our collective success. Over the next few weeks, right up to the start of the ORI, we'll face all kinds of inconveniences and challenges with our already-high ops tempo. But like Rudy, if we "strap on" a positive attitude and daily live the Air Force Core Values -- Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do -- we'll be incredibly successful and proud!