Til Wheels Are Up” Is Not an O Fficial Air Force Document
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NOTE: “ ‘Til Wheels Are Up” is not an o fficial Air Force document. Sections pertaining to funds and legal issues are outdated. For current guidance on the use of Official Representational Funds and Nonappropriated Funds please see AFIs 34-201 and 65-603. (12/26/02) This version of the Air Force Space Command’s ‘Til Wheels Are Up was taken from the Luke AFB protocol office website and converted from an HTML to a Microsoft Word file and then to an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) document by JMAR Management & Training. All materials contained in the Luke AFB version are included with this PDF version, however, there are various formatting differences due to the way HTML documents and PDF documents are prepared. Also modified are linked documents and graphics which have been inserted with the text to reduce confusion over file names and locations. JMAR Management & Training, 13418 Old Dock Rd., Orlando, FL 32828. Tel: 1-321-331-1177. Date created: May 31, 2002. 2 CONTENTS To go to a specific chapter, click on the blue underlined page number The Protocol Officer ............................................................................... 3 Funding Protocol Events......................................................................... 7 Mementos................................................................................................ 20 Transportation ......................................................................................... 31 Entertaining............................................................................................. 37 Invitations................................................................................................ 57 Titles and Forms of Address................................................................... 73 Protocol Order of Precedence ................................................................. 84 Forms of Dress ........................................................................................ 98 Table Seating and Arrangements............................................................103 The Receiving Line.................................................................................141 Toasts ......................................................................................................146 Conferences.............................................................................................159 Flag Information .....................................................................................169 Changes of Command.............................................................................190 Retirement Ceremonies...........................................................................206 Awards/Decorations Ceremony..............................................................210 Promotion Ceremonies............................................................................218 Activation/Inactivation Ceremony..........................................................223 Reveille and Retreat................................................................................224 The Military Funeral ...............................................................................225 Customs, Courtesies, and Traditions ......................................................234 Distinguished Visitor (DV) Visits ..........................................................251 Dinings-In and Dinings-Out ...................................................................271 3 PROTOCOL OFFICER From Chapter 1, 'Til Wheels Are Up!' "Duty is the most beautiful word in the English language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less." ........Robert E. Lee There are few jobs in the Air Force more challenging and demanding on a day-to-day basis than protocol. You worry a myriad of details. Murphy's laws take on added meaning: Everything that can go wrong does go wrong. You measure success by the absence of comment from your commander, and things go downhill from there. Why in the world would anyone want this job? That's one perspective. Another is that there are few jobs in the service more rewarding and satisfying than protocol. What other job gives you the opportunity to see the fruits of your labors on a regular basis, as you work a project or visit from start to finish? A five-year tour in plans seldom offers you the chance to work a project from the ground floor up, to plan, organize, develop and execute it through completion. And yet the protocol officer does this regularly. It's a golden opportunity to shine in the presence of senior officers, and to make acquaintances that could see you through an entire career. But it's not a job for the faint-hearted or thin-skinned individual. Nor is it a position for the lone wolves, who believe they can do it all themselves, and are egotistical to a fault. A successful protocol officer relies on teamwork, motivation, hard work, honed skills, and just a little luck. The experience you gain in protocol will stand you in good stead the rest of your Air Force career. Here's what we think it takes to grow into a great protocol officer, and a few hints to help you along your way. Attributes of the Protocol Officer CINCUSAFE's protocol staff published an article in the January 1991 edition of the Air Force's "Information Manager" that provides a great list of characteristics and attitudes which every protocol person needs to survive in the "high risk, high return" environment that is protocol. We've built on the foundation with which USAFE's protocol staff started. Organizational Skills. A good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan next week. ...........General George S. Patton, Jr. You must be able to remember the most minute details, plan for every possible contingency, and perform proper staff work. Coordination is the key to a successful protocol event, whether it be a visit or large social function. Your commander probably considered your organizational skills in selecting you for the job, so you've demonstrated these traits before -- but maybe not in the pressure cooker that is protocol. Gather the information you need, plan, replan, and plan again. Document your coordination, first with memos for record of phone calls and personal contacts, then in a comprehensive protocol plan or itinerary. Identify what could go wrong, and then plan for it! (It's about the only way we have found to head Murphy off at the pass.) We have also found it's a good idea to use checklists. It works for the operations world, and can help you prevent overlooking that one, but important detail. 4 Humility. Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. ...........Mac Davis You never say, "That's not my job." There is nothing too demeaning, too demanding, or just plain beneath you. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. If you are not comfortable opening car doors, holding umbrellas, or pitching baggage, then you need to find another job. Sensitivity. Great man demands it of himself; petty man, of others. ............Confucius Sensitivity to the needs of others. It goes hand-in-hand with cooperation. Taking care of the little things -- adding that "touch of class" -- can make a good visit into a great one. Learn to listen. Be sensitive not only to your principal or your visitor, but to the needs of those you rely on to support the visit. Seek out their good ideas. Be sure to remember them with letters of appreciation from your commander at the conclusion of your successful event. Commanders love to sign these, and you will get quite adept at drafting them! Cooperation. There is no limit to the good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit. ..........General of the Army George C. Marshall You have to be able to deal effectively with every personality in the book -- good, bad, or indifferent. The success of any visit depends on working as a team with others to accomplish a common goal. Teamwork really is the key to success; you cannot do everything yourself, and if you try, you "die." You must display the famous Protocol Smile under all circumstances, no matter what is going on behind the scenes. Flexibility. It is even better to act quickly and err than to hesitate until the time of action is past. .............Clausewitz Here's where the rubber meets the ramp for many protocol people. Can you think on your feet, or learn quickly on the job? You have to adapt to rapid-fire changes in a "high stress, high visibility" environment. If you don't stay ahead, you'll be left behind -- and it's nigh impossible to catch up. If you have done a good job of contingency planning, you'll be able (in most cases) to pull off the impossible when things go awry (in the eyes of the visitor anyway). But, we're lucky if we go 50:50 with Murphy, so be prepared to react quickly and professionally to the unforeseen or unexpected. And remember that Protocol Smile. It ought to get larger the worse things get from your perspective. Let them think you're in complete control! Communicative Skills. Remember, gentlemen, an order that can be misunderstood, will be misunderstood. ..........German Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke Pretty obvious, huh? But you'd be surprised to learn (or maybe you wouldn't) that most of the problems you'll encounter in protocol start and end with breakdowns in communication. It's something we all too often take for granted, and when we do, it gets us everytime. Don't assume anything! Listen. Make sure 5 the folks you rely on for support are listening to