Wing commander stresses priorities at commander’s call Published Oct. 29, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Timothy Young 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The 99th Air Base Wing Commander, Col. Barry Cornish, held three commander's calls to explain his priorities and expectations to Airmen here Oct. 21 at the base theater. According to Cornish, he expects all Airmen to be a well-trained, disciplined and an asset to a motivated team that shows pride, seeks excellence, and honors the profession of arms. "The [training] I owe to you," Cornish said. "If you're not getting the best training, tell me." Other topics discussed during the commander's call included the Air Force's zero tolerance policy toward sexual assault and drug use. Airmen watched a video of an Army soldier recalling her struggle with sexual assault, and how she was able to seek help during the commander's call. The commander said there is no room in the Air Force for that kind of behavior, and there would be no hesitation to discharge and prosecute Airmen breaking the law. He also had a number of priorities for Airmen that included inspiring and enforcing a culture and climate of respect, and emphasizing leadership by example. "Rank is not the only thing that should imply leadership. Everyone in the Air force is expected to be a leader," Cornish said. Other priorities the commander highlighted are the encouragement of innovation, creativity and economy at the individual Airmen level and to be ready to fight at a moment's notice. One way he is working to help Airmen meet these expectations through the Life of a Warrior initiative. The Life of a Warrior initiative is a concept tailored by Cornish, designed to challenge Airmen to seek excellence in their everyday lives. He shaped the initiative after the Life of an Athlete, prevention and intervention based program used by athletes from youth sports to Olympic and professional athletes. The idea of the initiative is to have Airmen make the personal choice to invest in positive growth rather than a destructive lifestyle. "A warrior is someone that is able to tackle life's challenges and become master of [his or her] own opportunities," Cornish said. "You don't have to wear a uniform to do that." Ben Booker, Second Chance Lifestyle founder, is a prime example of a warrior, was a guest speaker at the commander's calls. Booker, a recovering alcoholic, travels around as a guest speaker and fitness trainer telling the story of how he fights his addictions by focusing on staying fit and healthy. According to Booker, he started drinking at a young age and soon started drinking every day. He came to a low point in his life and eventually realized he had to make changes. He found a way to do so through working out. "I face challenges every day," Booker said. "I found a way to learn my body through fitness." Booker founded Second Chance Lifestyle as a way to share his lessons learned in life, help people reach their physical potential and to help other people that may be struggling with addictions in life. Booker also helped lead a high intensity workout during a warrior trained fitness workout session Oct. 22 at the field behind the Warrior Fitness Center. The wing commander said all Airmen need to do to follow the Life of a Warrior initiative is strive to achieve their maximum potential. "I sense that on this base, the Life of a Warrior initiative is going to change lives," Booker said.
