Fly, Fight, Win to Overcome Adversity

Published on LinkedIn April 20, 2020

by David Dean Menzies

Those of us affected professionally by the COVID-19 pandemic can look to the United States Air Force Academy’s Class of 2020 for inspiration.

Saturday, April 18, was not the traditional graduation the 967 cadets had envisioned back in 2016 when beginning the long, hard road toward becoming commissioned officers. No applause from family and friends echoing throughout 46,692-seat Falcon Stadium. No marching across the stage to shake the hand of a national leader and receive a diploma. And most heart-wrenching, no celebratory hugs with incredibly close classmates—brothers and sisters—who’ve literally shared blood, sweat, and tears throughout four years of intense academic, military, and leadership training.

My wife and I watched a live stream of the graduation ceremony on YouTube in part because of a connection we feel with USAFA. Our oldest son is a 2017 graduate, currently serving our nation in a global hot spot alongside fellow officers and Airmen. The 2020 grads were Doolies (freshmen) when our son was a Firstie (senior), participating in the Run to the Rock together three years ago to commemorate successful Firstie training of Doolies as they stepped off buses at the academy.

While this year’s crop of new Second Lieutenants will face unknown challenges militarily, they’ve already been put to the test.

Responding to Coronavirus with Action and Perseverance

The Air Force motto is a call to action—Aim High—with a response of commitment: Fly, Fight, Win. This motto was adopted in 2010 to reflect a shared pride in the ability to adapt to meet any threat.

USAFA’s Class of 2020 was expected to take action and persevere to get the job done and achieve their goals while finishing their last semester of classes and testing—and preparing for their first military postings—in quarantine.

Taking a similar approach in these trying times makes sense for us non-military professionals in the business world. Whether you are currently working from home or looking for work, consider these suggestions:

• Stay sharp mentally, physically, and spiritually. I’ve replaced regular visits to my gym with daily walks and yoga every night. Before COVID-19, I was only doing yoga once or twice a week; my back feels great and my mind is clear. (Check out Sarah Beth Yoga on YouTube.)

• Maintain social interaction. Texting, instant messaging, emails, phone calls, and waving to passersby doesn’t replace a couple of beers around the firepit with friends, but it helps us cope with stress nonetheless.

• Keep a professional daily schedule. Plan activities and projects to achieve short- and long-term goals. For example, I have structured blocks of time for writing, job search, and professional development closely aligned to my normal work days, with similar start and end times as well as breaks.

• Be the best at what you do. We’ve all worked hard to get where we are professionally, and it’s important to honor that by committing to excellence. If you’re in customer service, utilize your training and intelligence to help people find solutions to their problems. It’ll contribute to your mental well-being, helping you maintain a positive identity and self-worth, while making someone’s day a little easier.

When we get through the current COVID-19 pandemic, we won’t have a massive celebration full of pomp and circumstance. But the actions we take and perseverance we show during the crisis will strengthen us as individuals and professionals, moving us closer to achieving goals that we’ve long planned for—and maybe some new ones that we’ve discovered along the way.

David Dean Menzies is a writer and marketer with a passion for innovative and inspiring people, places and things. He is also a published fiction author on Amazon.