Reach out and let that true TEAM AEDC spirit shine! Published Sept. 2, 2011 By Ron Polce AEDC/PA ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- Look around. Chances are you see someone who deserves a "thank you," needs a pat on the back or would appreciate a smile to let them know you appreciate who they are, what they've done, and how they have made some positive impact on you, the workplace or our communities. Chances are you also see someone where your relationship isn't so good and that relationship could use a little mending. Well now's a great time to work on a key ingredient to TEAM AEDC's spirit and that is individual relationships. So reach out and let that true TEAM AEDC spirit shine! We're blessed to be celebrating AEDC's 60th anniversary this year. Just think, a mere 60 years ago President Harry S. Truman stood on the Warehouse loading dock celebrating the remarkable accomplishment of constructing the world's most advanced complex of test facilities and dedicating it as the Arnold Engineering Development Center. (Yes, I can say a "mere 60 years" considering I too went through a 60th anniversary of sorts a while back and it's amazing how your time perspective changes over time.) Can you imagine the TEAM AEDC spirit that must have existed while building this great installation and during the early years of operation? Fortunately, there are still family and friends among us who were a part of that great legacy and can share their memories. I recently had dinner with four of AEDC's early pioneers and was fascinated by their stories of blazing our ground test and evaluation trail. I can assure you if you ever have the great fortune to listen to Bill Bates, Jerry Jones, Dick Rudy and Dean Herron share their stories of shaking down our tests facilities while testing the likes of the Mercury, Atlas Apollo, Polaris and Dynasoar test programs, you will not only get a glimpse of that TEAM AEDC spirit in the early years, you will see it still shining brightly from them today! Well, how about the TEAM AEDC spirit since those early years and how is it today? In a recent publication showcasing AEDC's 60 years of progress, Colonel Michael Panarisi summed up the center's progress well when he said, "In these six decades, the men and women of AEDC have fostered the development of countless aircraft, ushered in new generations of spacecraft and forged the technologies needed to keep U.S. aerospace at the very leading edge in the world. While we stand in awe of the phenomenal facilities and equipment, it's the minds and hands behind these machines that made it all happen. We have been truly blessed with a team that has repeatedly faced seemingly insurmountable challenges and proved, without question, the spirit of innovation here will prevail." These statements sure make TEAM AEDC's spirit shine brightly in my eyes, and I believe it's strong individual relationships that bind the AEDC family together and ensured our 60 years of great success. No doubt, it's probably easier to see that "shine" during the good times when we just pulled off that important test, fixed that broken facility, passed the big inspection, went for long periods with no injuries, have all the plumbing and air conditioning working ... you name it. However, that "shine" might not be as apparent when times aren't so good. But perhaps it's during the not-so-good times that TEAM AEDC's spirit actually shines the brightest! While we can't necessarily influence the situations placed before us, we have tremendous control on how we react to them both individually and as a team. Whether we have spent all, a part, or are just beginning a career at AEDC, we are the source to TEAM AEDC's spirit ... just like the many hundreds who have passed through the gates before us. But we know relationships are fragile. Therefore the important question is, "How does each one of us contribute to kindling, sustaining and expanding those relationships each and every day?" So look around and continue to reach out to one another and build even more powerful relationships and TEAM AEDC's spirit will shine even brighter. Let those relationships be what is most remembered at AEDC's 120th anniversary!