Where does accountability start? Published Jan. 26, 2007 By Maj. Drysdale Hernandez 48th Mission Support Squadron commander ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- In today's Air Force we are facing some of the greatest challenges our service has ever known. We are challenged with longer, more frequent deployments, Force Shaping and Program Budget Decision 720, all while facing smaller operating budgets. Despite these challenges, we continue to create our own greatest challenge--a lack of personal accountability on the part of some of our Airmen. Not a week goes by in our Air Force where the issue of accountability isn't being discussed, analyzed or briefed. We have Airmen who are drinking underage, drinking and driving, selling or using drugs, sexually harassing their fellow Airmen and abusing their spouses. These are but a few examples of individuals not holding themselves accountable for their actions. So where does accountability start? It starts with you. Personal accountability is being part of the solution instead of being part of the problem. Personal accountability means holding yourself accountable for your own risk management and the decisions you make. Accountability is taking responsibility for your actions and holding yourself to a higher standard. It is about doing the right thing, not just when someone is watching but more importantly, when no one is watching. Accountability means being the one who doesn't drink and drive or ride with someone who's been drinking. It's wearing your seatbelt or stopping at a stop sign even when you're the only car on the road. Being accountable is also asking, "How can I improve our situation?," "How can I contribute?" or "How can I help solve the problem?" instead of sitting around contributing to the problem. Today we continue to lose Airmen due to alcohol related incidents, illicit drug use, high risk behavior and motor vehicle accidents. Many of theses incidents could have been avoided. The threat of poor decision making led the Air Force to begin the "Culture of Responsible Choices" campaign this month. CoRC is designed to help Airmen develop responsible decision making, with an emphasis on personal responsibility and accountability. While the goal of CoRC is to reduce the overall number of alcohol related incidents and drug use, its' overall objective is to improve decision-making opportunities to decrease risk and improve outcomes. Holding yourself accountable isn't limited to illegal activities. It applies even more to the decisions we make on a daily basis. It is doing the things you are supposed to do, from making your dental appointment, getting your flu shot or emptying your garbage in the dumpster versus in front of your dormitory room. Accountability is ensuring your personal affairs are in order for your deployment--and not waiting until the weekend before you leave to do it. Updating your virtual record of emergency data and your personal information on your unit's recall roster are a few examples of holding yourself accountable. Although it may not seem like major problems, they all impact our mission. The time has come to change our Air Force culture of "work hard/play hard" to "work hard/play smart." Making the right choices and holding yourself accountable is a personal decision only you can make. At RAF Lakenheath, we provide you with several tools to help make the right decision, from education and training, and Airmen Against Drunk Driving to the taxi chit program. It is up to you to take personal responsibility and be a part of the solution. If you take a look inside and do what's right, you'll find you really will make a difference.