General shares life's valuable lessons Published Aug. 25, 2006 By Airman 1st Class Luis Loza Gutierrez 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AETCNS) -- Maj. Gen. Michael Gould, 2nd Air Force commander, has had many assignments in his 29 years of service, all of which have taught him valuable lessons, like the one he learned first hand as a former Air Force aide to the President and then put forth as commander of 3rd Air Force. From June 1990 to June 1992, General Gould was assigned to the White House as Air Force aide to former President George H. W. Bush. While the assignment itself was memorable, one particular situation stands out. ... "I was with President Bush the evening he decided to commence hostilities in Desert Storm," said General Gould, who was a major at the time. "We had been at Camp David. We were flying back to Washington in a helicopter as he (former President Bush) was preparing his remarks that he would make on camera to tell the nation that war had started for the following reasons and then he went on and listed them," he recalled. "But just seeing the angst he had in committing American and Allied coalition forces into harms way certainly made me appreciate the human aspect of that decision and how important it is to rely on your experts. There was a keen awareness that there were a lot of smart people upon whom he needed to rely. That was a huge lesson in leadership that I was able to observe up close and personal." The lesson not to rely on just himself, but to include others when making important decisions, was tested years later when he was the 3rd Air Force commander at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. It was an assignment the general described as the most challenging of his career. Third Air Force was one of two numbered Air Forces in U.S. Air Forces in Europe and was responsible for all U.S. Air Force operations and support activities north of the Alps, which included an area of responsibility in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg and portions of France, and all of Sub-Saharan Africa. From the day of its activation, May 1, 1951, until its closing, 3rd Air Force grew substantially, taking on two main operating air bases in Germany (Ramstein and Spangdahlem), two wings in England (RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath), and five geographically separated units. All together, the "new" 3rd Air Force was composed of more than 25,000 military people and more than 35,000 family members. The general admitted it was not an easy task to bring such an organization to a close. "Closing a unit is very, very difficult," he said with a somber tone in his voice. "What made this one very tough was 3rd Air Force was a unit that had a long and proud heritage. Its roots started with post World War II when 3rd Air Force stood up in the UK (United Kingdom) to backfill the mighty 8th Air Force when it departed after the war. Since 1951, 3rd Air Force had been overseeing a good portion of our forces in Europe, so the heritage aspect of closing it made it tough. "Also, a difficult part of that was taking care of the people who worked in 3rd Air Force and making sure they were all placed in good, meaningful assignments and that their families were taken care of. What made it doable was that it was the smart thing to do for our Air Force. It was an organizational transformation that had to occur. I was a firm believer that it was the right thing to do for our Air Force, but it was still difficult," he said. Although General Gould has overcome some difficult challenges and decisions in his career, he attributes his success to two things, maintaining a sense of humor and his family's support. "One of the biggest downfalls of people at various ranks, but especially as they get more and more responsibilities, is they take themselves too serious. You start thinking that everything you do, every decision you make, every move you make is all important, and in the big scheme of things it's that sense of humor that helps you keep that perspective," he said. "Yes, our job is important, and yes, at times our decisions are life or death, but most of them aren't. I think if we can give others credit and be able to laugh at ourselves and laugh at our own mistakes, it will take us a long way." Besides maintaining a sense of humor, the general acknowledged his family's role in his professional success. "Probably the single most important factor in any success I've had has been the support of my family. I have always been a strong believer that one of our biggest responsibilities is to make a conscious effort to take care of our family, and sometimes, that effort means you work a little harder, you work a little longer. You do things that are going to enhance your contributions which will in turn enhance your advancement," General Gould said. "So for my part I've worked hard to take care of my family, because I knew in the long run our children would see that there is something to this concept of a work ethic. Hard work pays off, and at the same time the support they've given me has enabled me to do that." One of his biggest supporters of 25 years has been his wife, Paula. "She has been an absolute gem. She has been so supportive and has done so much work with the children when I couldn't be there. So, when we are together, we just put a premium on the time we could spend with the kids. As I look back I would have to say we've done something right -- both of our boys are in the Air Force. Our oldest son Bart is a second lieutenant at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., and our youngest son, Brandon, is a cadet at the Air Force Academy," General Gould said. Reflecting back on his years of service in the U.S. Air Force, the general concluded that while there were certain assignments and situations which stood out more than others he has enjoyed all of his time in blue. Those years have given him much to be proud of, not only as an officer, but as a husband and father as well, the general said.