422d Security Forces Squadron, RAF Croughton, United Kingdom
The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win -- in air, space and cyberspace. We are America's Airmen.
Commander, 422d Security Forces Squadron
FROM: S1, 422d Security Forces Squadron
SUBJ: Revised Squadron Mission and Vision Statements
In response to your request for feedback concerning the need to update the squadron's mission and vision statements in light on domestic and global events that have taken place since they were last reviewed, this memorandum provides a brief description of the 422d Security Forces Squadron, and the organization's current mission and vision statements. In addition, an evaluation of the Squadron's mission and vision statements is followed by a discussion concerning the extent to which these statements facilitate making important tradeoffs in the organization. Finally, descriptions concerning how the current Squadron's mission and vision statements could be improved and what the organization could do better to get the statements embedded in the Squadron's culture are followed by a summary of the research and important findings concerning the organization's mission and vision statements in the memorandum's conclusion.
Brief description of the 422d Security Forces Squadron, RAF Croughton, United Kingdom
The 422nd Security Forces Squadron is stationed in a former Royal Air Force base at Northamptonshire, England and is tasked with the defense of all vital resources, most especially its personnel, of the 422nd Air Base Group in support of intelligence, communications and global strike capabilities for U.S., NATO and mission partner objectives (Organizational overview, 2017). The organization's Latin motto as depicted in its unit emblem, patronus vallo amicus, translates roughly in English to "a friend of the patron of the rampart." The entrance to the base is shown in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1. Entrance to RAF Croughton US Air Force base in Northamptonshire
Source: https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/article_large/public/thumbnails/ image/2013/11/05/20/pg-6-spying-2-pa.jpg
Identify the mission/vision statement
The organization's current mission and vision statements as well as the Squadron's overarching goals are set forth below:
Mission: Defend all Personnel and Resources to enable Intelligence, Communications and Global Strike Operations in support of US, NATO and Mission Partners Objectives Worldwide
Vision: Innovative Defender Family, Taking Care of the Mission and our People, to all Successful Global Combat
Goals: Mission Execution, Culture of Caring for Troops, 100% Personnel Recognition and Stewardship for our Resources.
Evaluation of the mission/vision statements
Many companies view their mission and vision statements as an exercise that is intended to satisfy stakeholder expectations rather than using these statements as a means to inspire and motivate their members. Properly crafted and communicated, though, mission and vision statements can provide a number...
While private sector organizations have the benefit of being able to survey their staff to identify the most appropriate elements to include in their mission and vision statements, the armed forces have mandates that cannot be altered. Therefore, the mission and vision statements of military units must conform to these mandates but there are some steps that they can take to fine-tune their respective statements in ways that reinforce commanders' individual preferences and objectives as well as the consensus of its service members.
There are some fundamental differences between mission and vision statements that must be taken into account in evaluating their appropriateness and relevance to an organization. For instance, King and Case (2011) report that, "Mission statements serve to communicate vital information to all stakeholders interested in an organization. These vital communication tools must accomplish a number of goals including stating the [organization's] purpose, unique qualities, values, and basic goals/objectives" (p. 21). As can be seen from the current version of the Squadron's mission statement set forth above, these goals are stated in relatively vague terms that do not accurately or adequately communicate the organization's mission to its members or the public.
Likewise, the Squadron's current vision statement lacks even less clarity in terms of where the organization envisions itself in the future. In this regard, according to Jick (1989), "A vision is an attempt to articulate what a desired future for a company would look like. It can be likened to an organizational dream -- it stretches the imagination and motivates people to rethink what is possible" (p. 1). While the current version of the mission statement reflects the Squadron's purpose and goals, it fails to communicate the Squadron's "unique qualities and value." Similarly, the current version of the Squadron's vision statement does not "stretch the imagination and motivate people to rethink what is possible." These constraints have adversely affected the ability of Squadron members to rely on these statements in their day-to-day decision making as discussed further below.
Explanation concern whether the mission/vision statement help or have helped make important tradeoffs in the organization or work
The current versions of the Squadron's mission and vision statements lack definitional clarity and do not provide service members with the guidelines needed to take action when presented with conflicting goals or ethical dilemmas. Given the immediacy and importance of the Squadron's mission, it is critical to articulate these statements in terms that can help improve operational effectiveness. In this regard, Porter (1996) reports that, "Operational effectiveness means performing these activities better that is, faster, or with fewer inputs and defects than rivals" (p. 1).
In this context, the Squadron's operational effectiveness depends on its ability to leverage its human resources and materiel in ways that conform to its goals without having to resort to debate or reflection concerning which course of action is optimal.…
References
Brown, T. (1997, September). Turning mission statements into action. Harvard Business Review No. U97098.
Jefferson, R. (2015). A step-by-step exercise for creating a mission statement. Nonprofit hub. Retrieved from http://www.jeffersonawards.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mission-Statement-Exercise.pdf.
Jick, T. D. (1989, September 26). The vision thing. Harvard Business School, 9-490-019.
King, D. L. & Case, C. J. (2011, September). A mission statement analysis comparing the United States and three other English speaking countries. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 10(1), 21-24.
Mathis, A. L. (2014, March 17). Air Force sacks two commanders in Europe. Stars and Stripes. Retrieved from https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/air-force-sacks-two-commanders-in-europe-1.273142#.WT7b32jyu1s.
Organizational overview. (2017). 501st Command Support Wing. Retrieved from http://www.501csw.usafe.af.mil/Units/422nd-ABG/Security-Forces/.
1. From whom did you gather the information for the paper? Information for this paper was obtained from Col. Cheatham: he provided the 501 CSW Strategic Planning Final Draft Results and slides. Col. Cheatham is the Vice Wing Commander of the 501st Combat Support Wing (CSW) and is tasked with supplying world-class combat support from eight different installations. Col Cheatham obtained his commission in 1996 from the U.S. Air Force Academy