By Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz
Commander, Air Education and Training Command
Imagine,
if you will, an adaptive training environment that sits
inside a bare room. This environment can be manipulated to
simulate any task - from simple to complex. With the flick
of a switch or push of a button, the bare room transforms
into a living, breathing, interactive experience. Sounds and
smells abound, people appear and interact, and objects can
be held and manipulated. Once the training is complete, the
same switch or button disengages the system, making the
entire simulation disappear, leaving the original stark,
bare room.
In the "Star
Trek" series, such an innovation was part of their daily
routine. The "holodeck" permitted personnel aboard the
Starship Enterprise to experience an interactive learning
simulation. Imagine how such an innovation could help
members of our Air Force. Not only would it save space, but
it would also help manage risk, reduce training costs and
permit personalized learning programs built specifically for
the individual. The holodeck would revolutionize all aspects
of how we operate in the Air Force.
The holodeck is my vision of
the perfect training and education aide. In fact, I wish
every installation had hundreds of these interactive rooms
throughout the base. The possibilities are endless. Sadly, I
must temper my vision with reality and the realm of the
possible. Although my vision may not be feasible today, it
doesn't mean that I should give up. Our job is to make
dreams come true each and every day. I know you all have
similar dreams, visions that could benefit our Airmen both
today and tomorrow. Such visions must be pursued - you
should never, ever, ever give up.
In order to realize a
vision, several things need to happen. First, you must align
the vision with one of our core service functions. The
closer to the core, the easier it will be to gain support
and, eventually, resourcing. Next, take the vision and
develop a strategy. Depending on your vision, the strategy
may involve acquisition, implementation, execution,
modification or one of many other aspects. Let your strategy
start at the 40 percent solution and then let it evolve to
80 percent and eventually to 98 percent. Realize that the
process is continual - you will never get to 100 percent.
With the strategy in place,
you can start socializing the vision. Socialization will
also help your vision progress and grow roots through
increased organizational support and understanding. The
support will help you champion the concept for resourcing.
After all, your vision must have resourcing in order to come
true. Those resources will go to winners, not to losers -
invest the time and energy to be a winner.
In life, and especially in
the Air Force, priorities and personnel are always changing.
Over time, your vision will need to adapt to the realities
of change. It will require even greater persistence and
objectivity. Giving your vision roots and aligning it with
core functions will create something that can be handed off
and sustained through change. The best ideas, sustained by
hard work, can be carried forward by any leader.
You may also find yourself
joining an organization and accepting someone else's vision.
In this situation, evaluate their vision against current
realities and resourcing priorities. If they've done their
homework, the project will be easy to move forward. If they
haven't, assess the vision to determine if it should move
ahead or if its time has passed.
Last month, while visiting
Fort Dix, N.J., and the Air Force Expeditionary Center, I
came as close as I've ever been to a functioning holodeck. I
watched in awe as deploying Airmen entered a series of rooms
at the Medical Training Simulation Center. They fought
through heavy smoke to reach bloodied bodies that littered
the floor. Sirens wailed and explosions shook the room, all
interrupting their efforts to save the simulated wounded.
Once their training was
complete, instructors activated a switch that disengaged the
simulation. In this situation, the switch did not make the
entire interactive experience disappear. Although the smoke
cleared and sirens stopped wailing, the 'original stark,
bare room' still held the medical training dummies. It was
more than enough to get my heart racing.
My vision still needs some time to
evolve and mature. This doesn't mean I'm going to give up -
I simply need to work a little harder. Our Air Force needs
you to champion your vision as well. Develop it along our
service core functions and socialize it - let it grow roots
and evolve. Don't let your vision disappear like the end of
a holodeck simulation exercise. Do your homework and the
resources will follow. After all, it is your initiatives
that fuel the positive change that makes our Air Force the
finest in the world. |