The
Toolbox!
During our time in the service there are certain individuals that in one way or
another stand out as influential people who have indirectly or directly impacted our lives, and ultimately our careers. As a side note, one of my
favorite movies is “Follow Me Boys”
staring the late Fred MacMurray. In the movie, Fred MacMurray
becomes an at first reluctant scoutmaster in a small town. As the movie reveals, MacMurray and his wife, played by Vera Miles, discover that they cannot have children, so they find
comfort in life nurturing and guiding the young boys who are members of the scout troop. One boy in particular, played by Kurt Russell (his
first Disney movie) they adopt.
At the end of the movie, there is a retirement celebration for Fred MacMurray as scoutmaster and it
is attended by nearly all of his former scouts. MacMurray and the other townspeople become misty eyed when they reflect on the fact that these
scouts have had a significant impact on the local community, in State government, at the Federal level, and society in general (i.e. one is now the
governor, another the mayor, one scout is a U.S. Senator, some are lawyers, some doctors, some were highly decorated soldiers, etc.) and they all
attribute their success in life to Fred MacMurray’s influence and his leadership skills. I remember a similar theme in “Mr. Holland’s Opus”, with Richard Dreyfuss. My
point here is to help some of our younger service members understand that what they say and do does and will make a difference in the lives of people
around them and with whom they serve.
I remember my first commanding officer - Colonel Warren D. Curton. He had a presence that made
him special and which garnered our respect whenever he spoke. I just remembered that he always seemed to remember my name (for good reasons
… I think?) and that impressed me, since we had over 100 cadets in AFROTC at Baylor during my freshmen year. Years later, I found out
that Colonel Curton was a WWII flying ace. You know, he never mentioned it. I guess looking back I’m not surprised!
Reflecting some more, I still remember the names of my instructors during undergraduate pilot
training and while I attended B-52 Combat Crew Training and Instructor school. However, I’m not sure they would remember my name easily
since they probably had numerous students over the years. I guess they made an impression on me because they did things by the book and taught me the
importance of flying safety by always following the rules. I remember my many supervisors who encouraged me in my work and trusted my
judgment. They made me feel that I had a place in the bigger picture! I remember my first command and the realization that people were
looking to me to set an example so they could follow my lead. A responsibility I never took lightly, especially when I was Professor of
Aerospace Studies at Auburn University. It dawned on me my very first day on the job … this is where I started my Air Force journey, AFROTC,
except that now I was setting the example and I wondered how many of these future officers down the road would remember my name. Hopefully they
would recall that I was fair, personable, and always tried to do the right thing, especially when nobody was looking!
Over the years, I tried to prepare myself for leadership roles by taking what I learned and putting
them in what I would metaphorically call “the toolbox”! Very often during my career I would have to open up my
“toolbox” and reflect on what I had learned from my mentors, my instructors, my supervisors, my commanders, my contemporaries, my
friends, and of course my parents and relatives to bring me through some tough times. Not everything in the toolbox has been used. Some of
it will never be used because those tools have been replaced by better tools. However, I knew it was there if I needed it and if the situation
warranted their use. In fact, I still have that same toolbox … I guess I’ll always carry that toolbox with me. It’s
not something you can easily lend out without instructions on how to use its contents.
So I don’t believe I can focus on one human being that was a direct influence over my 30 year
military career, except to say that I was fortunate enough to have served with some pretty amazing soldiers who instilled in me a sense of
camaraderie, duty, integrity, and patriotism. To all of you…thank you for your patience, your encouragement, and your service. God
bless you and your families! God Bless America!
If you have been influenced by a particular individual in your military career, tell us about it. We’d love to post your tributes on our
blog!
Joseph Dougherty
Colonel, USAF
ASMBA Vice-President
