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Public Service, Military Service

Message of Lt General Oscar H Rabena AFP CG, PAF

Flag Raising, 4 Oct 2010

Amenities…

Magandang umaga sa inyong lahat. It is 82 days before – you know what - Christmas and just like any one of you here, it is sheer pleasure to have this countdown. But before we dwell on the merry things of the Yuletide season, let us first focus on public service vis-à-vis military service in connection with the fast approaching Barangay Elections.

Intricacies of Public Service

Often said, true character becomes apparent in the face of adversity. Just like the generations before us, our nation faces adversity in a number of forms as we assemble here today. Most pressing, our armed forces are challenged by many things including politics or partisanship. Indeed, this is a time for leadership, and this is a time for character. These are vital traits to public service, especially to us in the military service.

WHY & WHAT of Service

We cannot really fathom WHY we serve without examining in more detail, WHAT we serve. As Socrates figured out a long time ago, "we must value most, not living, but living well." We Filipinos understand this more than most. This country was formed by people in search of a way of life worth living best characterized by the word freedom.

It has been refined along the way, from our Bill of Rights: freedom of speech and expression; freedom of every person to worship in his own way; freedom from want; and freedom from fear. Rights and freedoms recognized by many as universal and timeless; but yet in some places, like here in our country, as still too revolutionary.

The Bond of the Constitution

What is it that we serve? We serve these principles and ideals as enshrined in our Constitution. The ultimate purpose or end of our military service is captured in our Oath of Office. We solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution because we find defending it more important than defending the country itself. We serve because we have something very special to defend, something supremely worth of our service; not just in defense of Filipino lives, but as a Filipino way of life, a life worth living.

There may be no higher calling than defending the Constitution, and the Filipino people. Abraham Lincoln called the Constitution as "the bond of service," thereby making those who have taken their oath to defend it as servants of the people, and therefore responsible to them. All of us enjoy life under the guarantee of freedom provided by this document. Military service is an essential element of national security and national security is a public good that benefits all.

PAF Yardsticks of Service

Corollary, our Air Force has a rich tradition of upholding the highest standards of service. We definitely need to uphold them. Our airmen and airwomen are trusted with weapons of destructive power. And in this matter of national security, at every level, the cost of even small errors may be the loss of lives.

These standards are encapsulated in the values each of us has come to know well -- Integrity, Service, Teamwork, Excellence and Professionalism. These enduring values serve as our anchor and their adoption by one and all binds us together. Our values define the character of our Air Force just as freedom defines every Filipino and our entire country. The character of our service regardless of the reason why or what we serve is diminished if these values are compromised.

When talking about public service it is worth to mention that military service is even more difficult. It involves personal and family hardships, deep commitment to mission and risk to life and limb. Particularly in battle, it is imperative that we can, without any doubt, count on the man or woman with us or in the back seat, maintaining equipment on the flight line, arming weapons and performing countless other vital tasks, to serve reliably and consistently, with deep sense of character in our work.

Military as a Distinct Service

Military service is distinct from other forms of public service. We serve 24-hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, year upon year. Standards are high especially in our commitment to service and to our chain of command.

In times of peace, we work even harder because we do not possess the power to predict what will happen. In the, immediate future, we need to be ready physically, mentally and spiritually. Further, we serve as a strong deterrent to conflict and put our skills to work in humanitarian and relief operations. And, when deterrence fails, we are asked to do the difficult things: to overcome fear and danger, to serve in locations and on timelines about which we have little say. Such is service in the military.

We are the Links

How we serve matters a lot. The strength of commitment to our core values and to the highest standards set us apart. We serve because it is our responsibility to pass safely along to the next generation the heritage and the opportunities, and yes even the military capabilities, that were passed from our forebears to us. And these things, perhaps, help define the meaning of service.

Hence, as a reminder for the forthcoming barangay elections, stay out of any area which could stain the sanctity of the oath that we have taken solemnly when we entered the military service. Let us be guided by the guidelines set to us by the Commission on Elections. These are not new to us we’ve been through this last May. Remain apolitical and stay In-STEP with the Chain of Command and the Constitution. I would prefer that we be an Air Force of highest values rather than an Air Force without moral strength. Clipped wings can be restored but betrayal of public trust is almost impossible to recover. It would do us well if we constantly remind ourselves of that. Let us keep on doing good, and living for the better organization. For it is written in Galatians chapter 6 verse 9 and I quote “Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time, we will reap and harvest if we will not give up”.

Again, to all of you magandang umaaga sa ating lahat and let us all have a productive month ahead. God bless us all.

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