Core Values

Air Force officer success in the 21st century will depend on a robust foundation based on Air Force core values. Recent, well-publicized cases of core value failures among USAF officers suggest a crisis in character that threatens leadership effectiveness in the Air Force. To solve this core value deficiency among USAF officers, the Air Force needs to increase its focus on core values in its officer accession schools and professional military education programs. While current USAF initiatives to address the character problem are steps in the right direction, more needs to be done. The Air Force should create a Center for Core Value Development with a charter to build a core values architecture that directs an integrated training and education program across the spectrum of the Air Force. This initiative would offer the best hope for effective officer leadership in the next century.