The Air Force Core Values are a three-part code for all Airmen to uphold no matter the situation. This code is ever present to help guide Airmen even when the path to completing a mission is unclear. As long as you put integrity first, service before yourself, and strive for excellence in all you do, the mission will be accomplished. In the 86th Materiel Maintenance Squadron, the Core Values are essential to our success. Our squadron is made up of 16 Air Force Specialty Codes supporting the readiness of U.S. Air Forces in Europe by maintaining its largest supply of War Readiness Materiel. Here are some opinions from our members on each of the Core Values:
Integrity First — Staff Sgt. Kyle Sarringer: Integrity is defined as having an adherence to moral and ethical principles. To break this down further, integrity is more than just having a moral compass or doing what is right. It means doing what is right every time, even when it would be easier to look the other way. For example, when you see Airmen of any rank who may not be adhering to regulations, you should make it point to address the situation when you see it. Some assume that if a member forgets their cover, they are already aware of their mistake. However, any infraction must be dealt with at the present time, otherwise it may continue. Integrity is what it takes to properly accomplish the mission because when an aircraft takes off or a convoy leaves the gate, they must rely on the integrity of the mechanic, technician, or engineer to make sure they can return safely. If there is one slip in the chain, the whole mission can fail. Integrity is a service to our fellow Airmen as well as a service to our nation.
Service Before Self — Tech. Sgt. Patrick Araujo: This simple little three-word phrase is the catalyst of our nation’s armed forces and the invisible fabric that binds us together to transform individual Airmen into the world’s premier Air Force. Some say putting the uniform on is an act of service before self, but how do we serve when wearing that uniform?
Are we providing knowledge and expertise to our fellow Airmen by asking the hard questions, leading by example, and molding our replacements? Or are we only thinking about our own career path, goals and aspirations, leaving the others to fend for themselves? The time is now for all Airmen to ensure we can provide our force with impeccable service. So before you take care of yourself, let’s think about how we can better serve in whatever position we hold. No matter whether you are Officer or Enlisted, we all owe it to those past and present that have paved the paths we follow today to allow us to be known as the most powerful Air Force in the world!
Excellence In All We Do — Staff Sgt. Myra Melendez: When I think of this core value, the first thing that comes to my mind is the quote, “Excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude.” This is true because in order to do excellent things, you have to want excellence and you have to want to produce excellence.
When we don’t feel passionate or proud of what we do, excellence will seldom be the outcome and we settle for mediocre work. We have the honor and privilege of serving in the most excellent branch of service, the U.S. Air Force. Let us uphold the standards and continue to represent the Air Force in an excellent way. Whatever you do, do it with excellence in mind and you will not be disappointed with the outcome!
As sergeants Sarringer, Araujo and Melendez state, the Air Force Core Values help define what it means to be an Airman. The 86th MMS follows these Core Values everyday to accomplish our mission. We encourage all members of our service to take time to reflect on what the core values mean to them and how they apply those values everyday.
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News for the Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Landstuhl & Baumholder military communities in Germany 
The Air Force Core Values are a three-part code for all Airmen to uphold no matter the situation. This code is ever present to help guide Airmen even when the path to completing a mission is unclear. As long as you put integrity first, service before yourself, and strive for excellence in all you do, the mission will be accomplished. In the 86th Materiel Maintenance Squadron, the Core Values are essential to our success. Our squadron is made up of 16 Air Force Specialty Codes supporting the readiness of U.S. Air Forces in Europe by maintaining its largest supply of War Readiness Materiel. Here are some opinions from our members on each of the Core Values:
Integrity First — Staff Sgt. Kyle Sarringer: Integrity is defined as having an adherence to moral and ethical principles. To break this down further, integrity is more than just having a moral compass or doing what is right. It means doing what is right every time, even when it would be easier to look the other way. For example, when you see Airmen of any rank who may not be adhering to regulations, you should make it point to address the situation when you see it. Some assume that if a member forgets their cover, they are already aware of their mistake. However, any infraction must be dealt with at the present time, otherwise it may continue. Integrity is what it takes to properly accomplish the mission because when an aircraft takes off or a convoy leaves the gate, they must rely on the integrity of the mechanic, technician, or engineer to make sure they can return safely. If there is one slip in the chain, the whole mission can fail. Integrity is a service to our fellow Airmen as well as a service to our nation.
Service Before Self — Tech. Sgt. Patrick Araujo: This simple little three-word phrase is the catalyst of our nation’s armed forces and the invisible fabric that binds us together to transform individual Airmen into the world’s premier Air Force. Some say putting the uniform on is an act of service before self, but how do we serve when wearing that uniform?
Are we providing knowledge and expertise to our fellow Airmen by asking the hard questions, leading by example, and molding our replacements? Or are we only thinking about our own career path, goals and aspirations, leaving the others to fend for themselves? The time is now for all Airmen to ensure we can provide our force with impeccable service. So before you take care of yourself, let’s think about how we can better serve in whatever position we hold. No matter whether you are Officer or Enlisted, we all owe it to those past and present that have paved the paths we follow today to allow us to be known as the most powerful Air Force in the world!
Excellence In All We Do — Staff Sgt. Myra Melendez: When I think of this core value, the first thing that comes to my mind is the quote, “Excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude.” This is true because in order to do excellent things, you have to want excellence and you have to want to produce excellence.
When we don’t feel passionate or proud of what we do, excellence will seldom be the outcome and we settle for mediocre work. We have the honor and privilege of serving in the most excellent branch of service, the U.S. Air Force. Let us uphold the standards and continue to represent the Air Force in an excellent way. Whatever you do, do it with excellence in mind and you will not be disappointed with the outcome!
As sergeants Sarringer, Araujo and Melendez state, the Air Force Core Values help define what it means to be an Airman. The 86th MMS follows these Core Values everyday to accomplish our mission. We encourage all members of our service to take time to reflect on what the core values mean to them and how they apply those values everyday.