December 21, 1998, was a brisk winter day in Saudi Arabia. I was stationed on my first combat deployment, flying missions enforcing the Iraqi southern no-fly zone.
I was scheduled to take off on only the fourth combat sortie of my career, inexperienced and quite nervous. It was a mission I’ll never forget.
I was flying that day with my flight lead Lt. Col. “Hos” Hyatt, the commander of the 79th Fighter Squadron Tigers. Our “2 ship” of F-16s were charged with “sanitizing” the airspace of any enemy aircraft that might be crossing the restricted area. It could have been a routine patrol – or not.
Suddenly, our radios blared with an urgent call from the radar ground controller, “Viper flight, you’ve got a MIG-23 150 miles off your nose headed south…hostile, hostile!”
This meant the MIG had crossed the no fly zone and was headed towards us and the fuel tankers we were in charge of protecting. A split second later, my headset erupted with a call from Hos.
“Viper flight, COMMIT, COMMIT!”
Almost unconsciously, I pushed up my throttle to afterburner and started to climb as I struggled to stay in perfect formation with Hos. There was no turning back. We were going after that MIG.
With those two words, “Commit, Commit,” my destiny was set in motion that day. No time to think – there was simply time to react. I was trained for that moment and my instantaneous choice was really quite clear: it was time to “commit.”
My heart raced. The intensity was beyond words. Quite frankly, there was a part of me that asked, “Am I ready to do this? Will I get shot at? What if my engine fails?”
In the moment, doubt crept in.
But deep down, I knew I was ready and I was mentally and emotionally prepared. Otherwise, I had no business being in that jet. Aborting that mission was not an option – period. I had a job to do. All of my military training boiled down to this one moment and I simply had to trust my wingman, stay in position, and execute the briefed plan. It was time to act.
That moment may have come in the extreme of combat, but it was really no different than the “call to duty” we all face in everyday life and business.
Do you have the discipline and training to commit to action in your life – to “push it up” and go after your target with confidence? Perhaps it’s the challenge of raising a family, a new job opportunity, going for a promotion, embarking on a fitness regimen or a “serious” diet, or the trust and rigors that come from a relationship. The actions you take once you commit will determine the quality of your outcome.
If you’re not ready to commit, no problem. Perhaps it’s not the right time, or you just need more time.
But, if you really are committed to take action in your life, then you better have the discipline to do what it takes to commit with confidence and foster that level of trust others can count on.
True commitment only exists when it is aligned with action. Action that is based on disciplined preparation, laser sharp focus, and most of all – courage, the sort of courage that says even though you may get “shot at” – you will carry on regardless! This is the reality of flying fighters in combat, and it is also the reality of leading a life of passion that is based on commitment and action.
Bottom line, before you commit to anything, you have to risk getting “shot at.” You have to be willing to work and sacrifice. Let’s face it, it’s not easy to commit. If it were, everybody would be doing it!
So, here’s the wingtip: The ability to face our fears, harness courage, and commit to action when the stakes are high is made a lot easier when we act in service to others. More importantly, when we have a trusted partner on our wing backing us up, it gives us courage to press on.
Hos was on my wing. Who is on yours?
