Stand together as a team to overcome, excel Published March 26, 2013 By Col. Douglas Curry 71st Medical Group commander VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- You know spring has arrived when sports talk turns to the men's and women's NCAA Basketball tournaments - March Madness. This season, no different than past, is focused on upsets on the way to the Sweet 16 and Final Four. Who would have thought the No. 15 seed in the South region, Florida Gulf Coast, would knock off the No. 2 seed, Georgetown 78-68? Or what about in the West region, where the No. 9 seed, Wichita State, took down one of the tournament favorites and No. 1 seed, Gonzaga, 76-70. Are the players on Florida Gulf Coast more talented than Georgetown? Did the players on Wichita State simply shoot the "rock" better than Gonzaga? The answer to both questions is a resounding "no." Success boils down to teamwork with every member of the team assigned a defined position. There are defensive players, offensive players, 3-point specialists, and other unique role players. To be successful, not only must each player leave it all on the court, they must function synergistically as a team. We have all witnessed very talented teams not live up to expectations - for causality, look no further than the "I" rather than the "team" mentality. Why am I talking about basketball? Because it is an analogy for success at work as well. As John Wooden, the revered former coach of the UCLA Bruins once put it, "The key ingredient to stardom is the team." In the medical group, we are a team comprised of role players -- active duty, civilians and contractors. No one position is more important than another. Our mission success is dependent upon everyone knowing their roles, knowing how they contribute to the overall game plan, and then giving 110 percent each and every day. Rather than having offensive and defensive players, we have logisticians, administrative personnel, technicians of all types, pharmacists, bioenvironmental engineering specialists, computer specialists, financial experts, laboratory personnel, immunizations, public health specialists, medical readiness personnel, Heath and Wellness experts, drug demand reduction personnel, mental health personnel, biomedical equipment repair specialists, facility managers, aerospace and physiology, and yes, even doctors, nurses and dentists. The point is, it takes much more than medical professionals to deliver world-class health care. It also takes the support team standing with them. The same analogy can be applied to accomplish the mission of the 71st Flying Training Wing - "Develop professional Airmen, Deliver world-class pilots and Deploy combat-ready warriors." Although we train pilots, it takes the combined efforts of the 71st Mission Support Group, 71st Medical Group, Wing Staff Agency, CSC Applied Technologies; and the 71st Operations Group. Each brings specific and critical assets to the fight. It takes all Vance personnel knowing their roles and striving to do their best to fulfill our mission. Mission success is defined no differently within the Air Force or Department of Defense. At the Air Force level, each wing is a contributing player. For the Department of Defense, each service has defined roles. Our security as a nation is predicated upon each service bringing something unique, and potentially lethal, to the fight. Our military and our nation are second to none because of teamwork. In today's fiscally constrained environment, with our elected leaders seemingly unable to resolve our nation's budgetary challenges, our teamwork will be tested. With sequestration and pending furloughs comes a renewed sense of appreciation for our government civilian workforce and the role it plays in our mission success. We need to be cognizant and sympathetic to the challenges our civilian employees will face with a 20 percent reduction in schedule and pay. Only by standing together, as a team, shall we overcome and excel. John Wooden understood it best when he said, "It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit."