Commentary: Call me Darius - no more

[The Patriot]

Commentary: Call me Darius - no more

08-20-2013 01:59 AM

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Commentary: Call me Darius - no more


by: Col. Mark K. Ciero, Vice Commander
48th Fighter Wing
published: August 20, 2013

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ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England* -- Call me Darius. King Darius ruled the greatest empire the world ever knew and then was routed. In 331 BC, the Persian King, with an empire stretching from Europe to China, encountered a rogue band of conquerors led by a long-haired Mede named Alexander. Alexander assaulted, retreated and then assaulted again until he crossed the Persian lines. The oblique attack caught the king off-guard and instead of taking charge, Darius fled.

Call me Darius.

Last Saturday night I left the comedy show at our Liberty Club. The opening comedian had been vulgar but funny; he used our yellow bomb threat card (the one by our phones) to poke at the military (take a moment to read the card's questions; they are ripe for humor). The crowd was rolling. Then came the headliner, and he was raunchy.

The headliner started his assault obliquely joking about dating and his newlywed status. He was crude but not across. He touched the line and then retreated until his routine turned south spiraling into sexual subjects. Some cannot be repeated, as he insulted women's anatomies, added a punch line about spiking drinks to facilitate sex, described repeatedly removing undergarments while whispering "she was asleep," and then in his coup de grace, demonstrated how to physically push a lady into oral sex and remove the evidence. The headliner hit the line obliquely, kept assaulting, and crossed headstrong.

Call me Darius.

I left the show. I could have taken charge, upheld the line of our new military culture of professionalism and respect, and interrupted the comedian.

As Airmen and leaders, we are taught to intervene - Every Airman a Sensor - Be a Good Wingman - Intervene, Act, Motivate - STOP! Make the Right Call. On all accounts, I failed to stand up and take the sword from the attacker, the microphone from the comedian. Instead, I departed and reported.

Unfortunately, just one week earlier I stood in the same room and evoked Gen. George Washington's memory as an example to our NCO-selects on how to lead our Airmen and uphold a culture of discipline and respect. In 1778, the defeated Continental Army was encamped at Valley Forge enduring "the times that try men's souls." There, frostbitten fingers penned the first "Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States," or what became known for generations after - and still used today - as the Blue Book.

The Blue Book described how the NCOs' primary responsibilities were to hold the line; they were to defend weakness at the point of assault. My Washington words were silent when I departed the show. The headliner crossed the line and I forgot the book.

We have another blue book now. Air Force Instruction 1-1, "Air Force Standards," is printed with a blue cover. Like the original, this document instructs all Airmen on their nation's principles and their responsibilities to our service. We cannot tolerate among our Airmen anyone or anything that degrades or demoralizes, let alone victimizes. Like the original, this new Blue Book is directive and punitive. Page one reads, "Our standards of conduct define how Airmen should behave when interacting with others and when confronting challenges in the environment in which we live and work."

Call me Darius for failing to confront the challenge. However, unlike the defeated and despoiled king, I contacted others and emerged a better Airman and leader. For those I left behind in the Liberty Club still under assault by the headliner, sorry. No Airman, no human, deserves the depravity shrouded in comedy associated with our military. We are empowered to confront challenges and our commanders are now engaged to ensure sponsored shows are supervised. The Air Force Blue Book, our leaders and your fellow Airmen demand our culture to keep correcting, our integrity to be more excellent and our service to be far superior while foremost to each other.

Together, Darius is no more.

To those holding the line, our doors, phones and emails are open. To anyone in need of help, we encourage seeking our sexual assault response coordinator team located in building 1070 via DSN 226-SARC (7272) or email 48FW.CVK@us.af.mil.


Tags: Blue Book, Commentary, Darius, RAF Alconbury, RAF Croughton, RAF Fairford, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Molesworth, Responsibility, News
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Commentary: Call me Darius - no more


by: Col. Mark K. Ciero, Vice Commander
48th Fighter Wing
published:

Share This:


Tweet

Comments
Email
Print


ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England* -- Call me Darius. King Darius ruled the greatest empire the world ever knew and then was routed. In 331 BC, the Persian King, with an empire stretching from Europe to China, encountered a rogue band of conquerors led by a long-haired Mede named Alexander. Alexander assaulted, retreated and then assaulted again until he crossed the Persian lines. The oblique attack caught the king off-guard and instead of taking charge, Darius fled.

Call me Darius.

Last Saturday night I left the comedy show at our Liberty Club. The opening comedian had been vulgar but funny; he used our yellow bomb threat card (the one by our phones) to poke at the military (take a moment to read the card's questions; they are ripe for humor). The crowd was rolling. Then came the headliner, and he was raunchy.

The headliner started his assault obliquely joking about dating and his newlywed status. He was crude but not across. He touched the line and then retreated until his routine turned south spiraling into sexual subjects. Some cannot be repeated, as he insulted women's anatomies, added a punch line about spiking drinks to facilitate sex, described repeatedly removing undergarments while whispering "she was asleep," and then in his coup de grace, demonstrated how to physically push a lady into oral sex and remove the evidence. The headliner hit the line obliquely, kept assaulting, and crossed headstrong.

Call me Darius.

I left the show. I could have taken charge, upheld the line of our new military culture of professionalism and respect, and interrupted the comedian.

As Airmen and leaders, we are taught to intervene - Every Airman a Sensor - Be a Good Wingman - Intervene, Act, Motivate - STOP! Make the Right Call. On all accounts, I failed to stand up and take the sword from the attacker, the microphone from the comedian. Instead, I departed and reported.

Unfortunately, just one week earlier I stood in the same room and evoked Gen. George Washington's memory as an example to our NCO-selects on how to lead our Airmen and uphold a culture of discipline and respect. In 1778, the defeated Continental Army was encamped at Valley Forge enduring "the times that try men's souls." There, frostbitten fingers penned the first "Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States," or what became known for generations after - and still used today - as the Blue Book.

The Blue Book described how the NCOs' primary responsibilities were to hold the line; they were to defend weakness at the point of assault. My Washington words were silent when I departed the show. The headliner crossed the line and I forgot the book.

We have another blue book now. Air Force Instruction 1-1, "Air Force Standards," is printed with a blue cover. Like the original, this document instructs all Airmen on their nation's principles and their responsibilities to our service. We cannot tolerate among our Airmen anyone or anything that degrades or demoralizes, let alone victimizes. Like the original, this new Blue Book is directive and punitive. Page one reads, "Our standards of conduct define how Airmen should behave when interacting with others and when confronting challenges in the environment in which we live and work."

Call me Darius for failing to confront the challenge. However, unlike the defeated and despoiled king, I contacted others and emerged a better Airman and leader. For those I left behind in the Liberty Club still under assault by the headliner, sorry. No Airman, no human, deserves the depravity shrouded in comedy associated with our military. We are empowered to confront challenges and our commanders are now engaged to ensure sponsored shows are supervised. The Air Force Blue Book, our leaders and your fellow Airmen demand our culture to keep correcting, our integrity to be more excellent and our service to be far superior while foremost to each other.

Together, Darius is no more.

To those holding the line, our doors, phones and emails are open. To anyone in need of help, we encourage seeking our sexual assault response coordinator team located in building 1070 via DSN 226-SARC (7272) or email 48FW.CVK@us.af.mil.


Tags: Blue Book, Commentary, Darius, RAF Alconbury, RAF Croughton, RAF Fairford, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Molesworth, Responsibility, News
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