The strength of our nation is founded in trust Published Feb. 25, 2011 By Lt. Col. Kenneth Moss 60th Air Mobility Wing Safety Office TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- "Trust is a peculiar resource; it is built rather than depleted by use." -- Unknown The past few weeks it has been impossible to pick up a paper without noticing the dramatic riots erupting in the Middle East. The people there grew so tired of the system they were living in that they resorted to outright resistance, resulting in the failure of two governments: Tunisia and Egypt. While both governments fell as a result of the lack of trust their people had in them, I want to focus on Egypt, the one institution the people did trust and why it should matter to us. Egypt has been one of our closest allies in the Middle East, and, like all relationships in that region, ours was pretty complicated. We supported President Mubarak and his institutions in Egypt; he maintained the illusion of democracy in his country and in turn we felt comfortable that no extremists would gain a foothold there. The U.S.-Egypt relationship worked well because we had established more than 30 years of trust; they were predictable, reliable, and strategic. However, President Mubarak lost the trust of someone we couldn't influence, the people of Egypt and they forced him out of power. Fortunately for America, Egyptians turned to the one institution left it could trust: their military. I'm proud of this for a number of reasons. First, as a member of the greatest military on Earth, I'd like to think that all militaries are like ours -- formed by people of high moral character who selflessly serve their country. Second, I know first-hand the role the U.S. military had in building the Egyptian military into a professional force. The U.S. spent billions of dollars supporting Egypt's military. This money was invested in equipment and training, but it required extensive support from dedicated Americans. Americans who fostered strong relationships with future leaders in Egypt; Americans who shared their philosophy of integrity, service before self and excellence; Americans who earned the trust of a foreign army and who may, by extension, regain the trust of people critical to stability in the region. But we must also remember the lesson President Mubarak not: we must first maintain the trust of our people. We currently enjoy one of the highest public confidence ratings of any institution in America and have for some time. The American public trusts us; our honesty and forthrightness have solidified our standing as an institution of integrity. And our uniforms, which make us easy targets in Iraq and Afghanistan, also make us easy to spot here at home. Every time we leave our home for work, the public takes notice and watch our actions closely. They notice if we speed in neighborhoods, take trashcans in on time or whether we use good manners while waiting in line. They hold us to the standards they expect of the best in America, whether they maintain that standard personally or not. The fact the public holds us to a higher standard shouldn't demoralize us; in fact, we shouldn't want it any other way. The public expects us to keep them safe, to protect them and they expect us to represent the highest ideals of American values ... always. There is no moment when we are not expected to cultivate and nurture the trust they have placed in us. In exchange, the public provides strong support to military members and their families -- from extra discounts to free goods and services, we enjoy significant benefits that spring from the goodwill we have built with the American public. This relationship with the public is the result of years of hard work and dedication. We have worked to repair the public trust in the military since the Vietnam era, and by all accounts, we have been successful and have regained the support of the people. We need to ensure the public trust is never in question by driving the speed limit in neighborhoods, bringing in our trashcans in on time, maintaining good manners while waiting in line and by generally always aspiring to achieve the highest standards of American etiquette and chivalry ... always. If we can do this, if we "build trust through continued use," then we cannot fail to gain the support and trust of the people. And if you want to know how important it is to keep the trust and support of the people, just ask former Egyptian President Mubarak.