What Motivates You?

  • Published
  • By Col. Robert Miller
  • 48th Medical Group commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  My recent deployment to Iraq as an expeditionary medical squadron commander resulted in many valuable lessons. One I have continued to think about since returning to the 48th Medical Group involves the concept of motivation. 

I was lucky to be deployed with 43 exceptional medics from RAF Lakenheath to run the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron in Kirkuk, Iraq. This was a well-trained, highly motivated group who's simple mission -- expeditionary medics saving lives, right here, right now. It quickly became apparent a large contingent of Army troops based out of Kirkuk would be dependent on us to complete their mission; their lives were frequently in our hands. Motivation was never a problem in this environment, and looking back, there were many reasons for this. 

Deployments have a tendency to bring out the best in people, a combination of excitement and fear, mixed with the never ending challenges that present themselves, has a way of keeping people on the cutting edge. When things went well, and in our case, when lives were saved, there was immediate positive feedback. I certainly could not have been prouder to see this group of selfless Airmen work as a team for hours on end when casualties entered our emergency room. Little was required of me to keep people motivated due to the continuous stream of patients. There was little doubt the Liberty medics were held in high esteem by those who regularly went outside the wire to accomplish their dangerous mission. To be honest, it felt great to be a medic in this environment. 

Now that we have returned, the challenge we all face is to sustain a high level of motivation in a very different environment, where positive feedback may not always be as prevalent. I am a fan of the Servant Leadership Model and the Air Force core value of "Service before Self" fits very well with this leadership style. If your motivation is to do whatever you can to help others regardless of the circumstance, it should not matter what the task is. For a true selfless Airmen, motivation should be just as high when faced with a life or death situation or when helping someone who is lost and needs directions in your facility. This may seem like a very foreign concept to someone motivated only by glory or decorations, but for those who truly live by the core value of "Service before Self," it should not matter. 

As a Commander, I have come to appreciate the importance of recognizing those selfless Airmen who do so much when no one is watching and without an expectation that rewards are forthcoming. This type of motivation is truly worthy of praise, and unfortunately, is not possessed by all who have the privilege to wear the Air Force uniform. 

I would challenge each of you to consider what motivates you during your normal work day. If you are not happy with your answer, change can be immediate, but this requires effort for some. For the Liberty medics who have returned from Iraq, many have gone back to jobs that are in no way as exciting as the challenges they faced at the 506th EMEDS. Although equally important, one cannot compare the energy felt in a room during the resuscitation of a trauma patient compared to a routine Preventive Health Assessment or sports physical examination. For true selfless Airmen, it should not matter when considering level of effort if "excellence in all you do" is the goal. My hope and expectation in the medical group is that the same level of motivation as would persist in all settings. That being said, this concept is not unique to medics or the military, but is critical to the success of all organizations. "Service before Self" is a great core value and needs to be one of the key motivating factors in our lives as Airmen. So once again, ask yourself the question, what motivates you?