JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Common ground can be hard to find. As military members, we understand this, as each servicemember we work with comes from his or her own walk of life. We also understand that few things bridge a common-ground gap as well as reading. It's as if when a book is published, the pages and inner meanings of that novel are open for all to read and interpret, regardless of rank, age, time in grade, branch of service, etc. Additionally, by the novel's end, all readers gain a similar sense of professional development from the selected work. For Joint Base Andrews, reading can not only aid servicemembers here in their search for common ground, but can also give everyone who chooses to read, the advantage of personal improvement as well.
Earlier this year, General Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, selected 14 novels for his 2011 Chief of Staff of the Air Force reading list. As quoted by www.af.mil, these books were selected to "provide Airmen of all ranks a guide to further their education and expertise". As a result, Joint Base Andrews has taken an active role in helping its Airmen and servicemembers take full advantage of this reading list, and its benefits, by maintaining a monthly reading group dedicated to Gen. Schwartz's selections.
The Joint Base Andrews reading group meets on the second Tuesday of every month to discuss a single work from the 2011 CSAF reading list. It's here at these meetings that all persons (regardless of rank, etc) are encouraged to provide their input and feedback on the selection and by doing so, gain the opportunity for professional growth.
Captain Max Walters, 1st Helicopter Squadron special mission instructor pilot, attended the last Joint Base Andrews reading group meeting and understands the diversity of the personnel working here and just how beneficial a reading group can be.
"Any amount of reading can spark discussion and further professional development," said Captain Walters. "The point of a reading group is also to see what kind of perspectives come out of the discussions."
The Joint Base Andrews reading group has been leading discussions on the CSAF reading list since September 2010. First Lt. Raymond A. Hoffman, 844th Communications Group's executive officer, is the point of contact for the group and encourages all Joint Base Andrews servicemembers to attend. Lieutenant Hoffman also takes steps to reserve copies of that month's selection for anyone who wishes to attend a meeting. Lieutenant Hoffman's main goal with the reading group has been, and continues to be, the professional development and personal growth of all who attend the meetings, through the discussion of these selected books.
"Everyone here has a chance to speak," 1st Lt. Hoffman said. "These books provide us with a chance to gain different perspectives; here you can neutralize yourself and really ask 'how does this work relate to what I do?' and 'what did General Schwarz want me to gain from this work?'"
The next reading slated for discussion is Gen. Schwarz's selection, "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time", by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Anyone interested in attending the next Joint Base Andrews reading group discussion can email 1st Lt. Hoffman at Raymond.Hoffman@afnc.af.mil. All reading group meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Base Library here.
A copy of the CSAF reading list can be found at http://www.af.mil/information/csafreading/index.asp