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Dreams

  • Published
  • By Col. Dave Condit
  • 403rd Operations Group
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  
 403rd Operations Group

7/31/2015 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, BILOXI, MISS -- Each of us has dreams. We dream about exotic places, relaxing experiences, adventures, things we might accomplish and financial security. Some of our dreams intersect with our military service. Our dreams include things like the next level of responsibility, advancing to NCO or senior NCO, commissioning, field grade officer, a desired specialty, pilot training, or retirement. These dreams motivate us, help us through tough times and make our lives exciting.

I interact with a lot of Airmen. One of the most exciting things I see is someone's dreams. I recently attended a pilot training graduation and was struck by the dreams realized and the new dreams being formed. There were young officers recently commissioned as prior service members who just arrived. Their nervous yet excited eyes wandered to the sky as the training jets flew over. There were graduates with shiny new wings and assignments all over the world. The graduation ceremony included senior NCOs, officers and family members who stood proudly by, seeing the realization of their hard work. Seeing dreams come true is amazing.

Unfortunately, not all our dreams come true. Life is not fair, and not all of us make it to that exotic place or that relaxing retirement. Relationships slip away. Financial security eludes us as we work from paycheck to paycheck. Not all of the young officers I saw at that pilot training base would depart the gates with a set of wings. Sometimes things beyond our control mean we have to dream of new things.

One of the saddest things I see when interacting with Airmen is the dreams never attempted. We get busy with the mundane, our minds wander, we are uncertain, we're afraid we might fail. For whatever reason, we don't take the risk and attempt to accomplish our dreams. The most certain way to ensure our dreams are not realized is to not attempt them. Each of us, no matter our age or circumstances, still has dreams. Don't be the one to guarantee the dream never comes to fruition. Clear away the distractions, focus and see yourself accomplishing your dream. Most of all, take action, take a risk, and take that first step.