By: Maj John F. Reutemann III
In Colorado Springs, at the United States Air Force Academy, above the west portal of the Terrazzo, just adjacent to the Cadet Chapel, mounted in granite stone, the immortal words of the Honor Code are proudly displayed as a constant reminder to all who pass by: “We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.”
As you know, the USAFA’s Honor Code was adopted by CAP, and is now found on practically every memory work sheet in our auxiliary. I remember that when I was a relatively new cadet, over 10 years ago now, the cadet staff would tell us that we had to live by this Honor Code, and that it wasn’t just something for CAP, to be memorized and regurgitated on command. Several years after that, when I was the cadet commander of the 2003 Tri-Wing Encampment, I decided that the one encampment-wide class that I would personally teach would be the Honor Code class. In that class, I expounded upon the “toleration clause,” that last part of the Honor Code in which we state that not only will we ourselves not lie, steal, or cheat, but that we will not even tolerate someone else who lies, steals, or cheats. I made then, as I do now, the distinction between actively doing something versus passively tolerating something, but quickly noted that this distinction becomes utterly irrelevant when it comes to Honor Code violations. Some of the most celebrated cases of cadets being expelled from the academy involved not the discovery of their own lying, stealing, or cheating, but the discovery of their toleration of someone else’s lying, stealing, or cheating. That is, if it is determined that you knew of someone else’s violation of the Honor Code and then did not turn them in (thus tolerating their violation of the Honor Code), you too would be guilty of having violated the Honor Code and were, therefore, subject to the same penalty as they.
I bring all this up because I think it’s important for us to be reminded periodically of the severity of Honor Code violations. After all, our first core value, integrity, demands that we live our lives the way we say we live our lives. If we profess to live by the Honor Code, then we had better indeed be living by it. Practically-speaking, however, what does it mean to live by the Honor Code? Certainly most, if not all, of us are not regularly engaged in lying, stealing, or cheating, at least not in any spectacular way. If we were, we’d probably get caught pretty quickly. More likely, however, is that we may be lying, stealing, or cheating in smaller, seemingly-insignificant ways that we probably wouldn’t even consider to be lying, stealing, or cheating. Don’t we lie when we intentionally deceive another by telling only a half-truth? Don’t we steal when we take away someone’s good name by talking behind their back (even if everything we’re saying about them is totally true)? Don’t we cheat when we gladly accept the rights and privileges of a position without attending to its duties and responsibilities?
No doubt about it, the Honor Code certainly sets a high bar for us, but anything lower would fail to keep us at the level of excellence necessary to perform the missions for America with which we have been entrusted.
The following article is a reprint of a news article that was written by Staff Sgt Jeremy Landee (Air Force News Agency) about Maj Nicole Malachowski, a former CAP cadet.
19 March 2008 - SAN DIEGO (AFPN) -- In the months since her last flight as the Thunderbirds No. 3 right wing pilot, Maj Nicole Malachowski has had a hard time putting her accomplishment of being the first woman to fly on a U.S. military flight demonstration team into a proper perspective.
At the San Diego Air & Space Museum March 14, she was blindsided by an emotional moment that placed her achievements into focus. The visit to the museum was part of the 19th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference held here March 12 through 15. The conference was attended by more than 3,200 people.
The conference included an exhibit hall, speeches by numerous aviation legends, professional development classes and ended with the induction of Major Malachowski into the Women in Aviation International's Pioneer Hall of Fame. Nancy Love, Geraldine Mock, Margaret Ringenberg and the Women's Section of the Air Transport Auxiliary were inducted as well.
Earlier in the year, Major Malachowski donated one of her show suits to the museum, which had turned it into a display in time for the conference. The major said she got kind of misty eyed and had what she called a "non-fighter pilot moment" and had to excuse herself for a few minutes to get composed.
"I'm 33 years old and looking at something that I wore in so many air shows displayed in a museum," she said. "People were just looking at it and taking photos and standing there. I realized the significance of what I have done and how I could inspire others."
She said it was an honor to attend the conference and she enjoyed being in the ranks of historic female aviators. "Women have been involved in aviation since the time of hot air balloons," Major Malachowski said. "It's only normal to me that women are going to add their strength and skills to the effort of pushing aviation forward."
The major said one of the highlights for her in the conference was interacting with members of the Women Air Force Service Pilots, which was an organization essential in freeing up male pilots for combat service and duties in World War II. The women would transport aircraft throughout the U.S. and Canada. They also assisted in training pilots. Thirty-eight women died while performing these duties.
"We have to honor the accomplishments and courage of the Women Air Force Service Pilots," Major Malachowski said. "People think it is great that these women were flying fighter aircraft 60 years ago. It is not remarkable because they were women. It is remarkable because they were there in defense of the free world and helped bring our country and allies to victory. I know I had the Thunderbirds experience and I'm standing here today in this wonderful uniform because of the contributions and sacrifices of people like them."
The conference was also attended by more than 250 military people. In her duties as a security forces member, Senior Airman Tara Currah has spent a lot of time guarding aircraft while stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. She said she really enjoyed the professional development courses in the conference. "It has been inspiring to see so many powerful women," she said. "It makes you feel like you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it."
The Airman also had a chance to speak with Major Malachowski. The major said her mantra has always been that actions speak louder than words. "I wanted to show through my actions that women are capable of anything," she said. "I did my best and I hope I represented our Air Force with the respect it deserves."