AU-2 Guidelines for Command

FROM THE PREFACE: Squadron command is often described as the best job in the Air Force. It is also one of the most demanding. Commanders are entrusted with incredible power-in terms of legal authority and personal influence-and it is critical you honor that trust by commanding effectively with balance, purpose, and dedication. As the commander, it is your responsibility to set the tone, establish priorities, and take the lead. As you meet your daily challenges, remember that ultimately command is not about you or how skilled you are in your Air Force specialty. Command is about accomplishing the mission and taking care of your Airmen. this guide will help you on your way. there is no "all-encompassing" checklist or "how-to guide" for command-no manual could hope to be so comprehensive. How you lead your squadron depends on your experience, ideas, goals, values, and willingness to learn. Your past performance has demonstrated that you are up to the task-if not, you would not have been selected for command. Even so, you will not know everything before you start, and the job will always be a learning endeavor. You can, however, take advice and learn from other commanders' experiences to make you a better, more effective leader. that is the intent of this publication-to advance the practice of command. this book, in conjunction with the Commanders Connection, the professional forum for squadron commanders, does just that. the following articles and tips are not regulations you must follow, nor should they be your sole source of information. they are only guides based on the experiences and lessons learned from a diverse group of Air Force leaders. Used properly and supplemented with other sources, these guides help prepare you to effectively meet the needs of the mission, while taking care of your people. We hope you find the information here useful. thoughtfully applied, it will make you a more effective commander. Obviously there are many programs, experiences, and issues we could not capture in one document. to remedy this problem, we encourage you to join the Commanders Connection (https: //acsc.sqcc .maxwell.af.mil), where you will find an up-to-date electronic version of this book and a forum to ask questions, share your knowledge, and receive advice from current and former squadron-level leaders. We greatly appreciate the support of the following Air University organizations located at Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), Ira C. Eaker College for Professional Development, Commanders' Professional Development School, and Air University Press for their assistance in making this revised publication a reality. Without their support this project would not have been possible. good luck in your command