Commentary -- Having a mission with vision Published Feb. 17, 2011 By Maj. Ian Dinesen 47th Security Forces Squadron commander LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- There is certainly no lack of uncertainty in today's world. There are on-going contingency operations at nearly every point of the globe, financial institutions have fallen, real estate markets have collapsed, natural disasters have taken their toll on populations and the list goes on. So how does that relate to Team XL's mission and vision and what does mission have to do with vision? To begin, let's quickly examine how Laughlin is involved in all of these current events. The wing's mission to "train world-class aviators and deploy combat-ready Airmen" is where we find the cornerstone of our relationship with the rest of the world. "America's airpower begins here" may sound cliché, but there is good reason to fully buy in to this sentiment. If you think about it, Airmen from Laughlin are fighting in our nation's conflicts 24/7. Military and civilian personnel from our wing are facing financial hardships like everyone else in our country. Aviators from Team XL's pilot pipeline have been and will continue to conduct military operations and humanitarian missions constantly around the world. By being involved so intimately with current events we can all get a greater appreciation for our mission. But we have to be careful not to be short-sighted. That is where our long-range vision needs to come into play. It is one thing to understand current events and meld our mission to meet the needs of our country and its citizens, but it is entirely different to be able to forge a pathway by way of vision and have the ability to vector mission sets through deliberate planning. To put it plainly, having mission without vision is like continually putting out small fires, and we all know that is extremely difficult to do over the long term, both physically and to the detriment of unit morale. Thus, in order for Laughlin to maintain its vitality as the cornerstone of American airpower through (and beyond) 2030, we all need to widen our aperture and visualize our charted course over the next two decades. By teaming together to improve our infrastructure, preserve our operational space and cultivate relationships, we will be well on our way to exceeding the expectations our country has of us as American Airmen. Let us all band together and solidify our common culture of innovation and efficiency, as we can offer no less. By solidifying our vision now, our long-term mission will maintain its ability to adapt to changing training requirements, changing economic climates and changing global security and stability, which will ensure our viability in 2030 and beyond.