AFI 1-1 gives Airmen words to live by

Published July 30, 2013
By Airman 1st Class Sam Fogleman
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- In the Air Force, it starts with the basics, literally. Air Force Instruction 1-1 meets the criteria for providing that initial understanding to all who serve in the Air Force.

At 31 pages, AFI 1-1 (Air Force Culture: AIR FORCE STANDARDS) details what Airmen must know about the Air Force environment, conduct and appearance. Areas covered include customs and courtesies, professional relationships, personal grooming and use of social media.

"Our compliance with high standards is what has made the U.S. Air Force dominant in the air, space and cyberspace for over six decades," said Col. Brian Newberry, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. "Our Airmen are true to our core values, providing a firm foundation to fly, fight and win without peer. The first step on this path to air dominance is to internalize our high standards and values, which AFI 1-1 succinctly spells out so we can learn these core standards and live them."

With AFI 1-1 readily available in a pocket-sized blue booklet, Airmen can avoid a variety of mistakes, great and small.

The push by Air Force leadership to publicize AFI 1-1 highlights how small steps can be taken in the organization to combat the escalation of small problems into large ones. The most recent version was published in August 2012 under the management of Gen. Norton Schwartz, former Air Force Chief of Staff.

For your own copy of AFI 1-1, contact your first sergeant or supervisor.