Combat Wingman is a way of life

  • Published
  • By Col. Wally Scales
  • USAFE Safety Director
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) --  Gen. Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, recently instituted a new program called Combat Wingman. I would like to share with you the basic principles of what I think it takes to be a good wingman and how I use this concept in my everyday life.

The wingman concept goes back to World War I when pilots discovered that attacking in formations provided much more mutual support than attacking a target on their own. With a primary leader and a dedicated wingman, they discovered their survival and success rates were much better. Throughout aviation history this concept has evolved, but the basic philosophy has not changed.

Combat wingman is a concept of making a commitment to take care of each other -- to work as a team and ensure we all come back in one piece. It is fairly easy to see how this works in combat, but how do we apply this concept to our everyday lives?

From the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed, I know there are certain things my family expects me to do -- walk the dog, clean the windows on the car, take the trash out and ensure the doors are locked. Sounds pretty straight forward, but when routines change or things get hectic due to work schedules, my wife and I double check each other to make sure those small but important items are still accomplished. If one of us is ill, then the other picks up those additional tasks they would normally do. But as we pick those up we check with each other to make sure we have not forgotten something since we are both out of our “routine.”

At work, rule number one of being a good wingman is to know what your job is. As a supervisor I monitor my staff’s progress, and check to see if they have questions. I look for signs of stress caused by either work or family issues. Being a good boss or a good co-worker takes observation and getting to know what is going on in people’s lives.

Combat Wingman is a great tool to help you, your family and co-workers make smart decisions. It automatically brings in a “second set of eyes” on things that could make a difference. Embrace this concept and you will find it is an excellent concept which could make a big difference in even your daily activities.