"We Can't do this....?" I bet we AFSA-Lutely Can...!

How many of you own a car that is older than 5 years old?  Ok, how many of you drive a car more than 10 years old?  Let us back that up even further: is that car 15, 20, 25 or even 30 plus years old?  Probably not many of us can say they would feel comfortable strapping the spouse and kids in a 30-year-old car and driving across the country.  Well, our Air Force operates aircraft 30, 35, 40 plus years old.  Our young maintainers and seasoned pilots work on and fly these aircraft in support of our nation’s mission every single day.  The cynic would say, “We can’t do that”!  However, we do!  We make this happen with limited resources, an ever-shrinking workforce, and a relatively small budget.  We make the seemingly impossible—possible!  How we do this?  It’s simple, through the commitment, dedication, and commitment of our American spirit!  The same can be true with AFSA recruiting. Recently I learned that AFSA internationally has fallen below 100,000 members for the first time in many years.  This struck an alarming and unnerving feeling within me, as I know we CAN do better than this.  Chapters need to unite, create a vision, plan, and execute cleaver, innovative and creative ways to increase our membership.  Recruiting is of paramount importance to our existence; however, retention is the bedrock of our ultimate survival. As I speak with my AFSA brethren, I often query how they are doing regarding recruitment and retention.  Many nonchalantly dismiss these critical elements and state, “we don’t have time…we don’t have the people…we don’t have the resources…”, these are the same people who fix, fly and fight with those 40 plus year old aircraft; yet…they make “that” happen.  They make the seemingly impossible—possible.  Why can’t we embrace that same spirit and relate it to our “AFSA mission”? I want each one of us to develop our “DNA”—to internalize the “CANS” and discount the “CAN NOTS”.  I want each member of AFSA, each leader, to do what these phenomenal Airmen do every day on the flight line and make the seemingly impossible—possible!  Warriors we MUST get a handle on recruitment and more importantly, retention.  Get organized, create a membership team, a retention team, get focused!  Simply put, we CAN NOT continue to operate with the status quo mentality we have been in the past several years.  We need to be innovative and we need to share our successes and failures collectively so we can all learn from each other. Warren Bennis stated, "The organizations of the future will increasingly depend on the creativity of their members to survive. Great Groups offer a new model in which the leader is an equal among Titans. In a truly creative collaboration, work is pleasure, and the only rules and procedures are those that advance the common cause." Team, I encourage each one of you to dig deep, be creative, brainstorm, think “outside the box”, and make the impossible—possible,   Just like our brothers and sisters in blue do with that 40 plus year old fleet.  If you hear “We can’t do that”,  I say…WE “AFSA-Lutely” CAN DO THIS! V/r SMSgt Matthew Becker President, AFSA Chapter 984 Treasurer, AFSA Division 89 Member, AFSA International Membership ADHOC Committee "Lead Me--Follow Me--or Get Out of My Way!"