News

Gould echoes Risner’s keys to success

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class John Day
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, former Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado, visited Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, to speak at the Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 15-10 graduation June 12.

Accompanying him was his wife, retired Col. Paula Gould, a former tanker pilot and one of the first combat-qualified female pilots in the Air Force.

Gould earned his commission and a bachelor's degree in behavioral science from the Air Force Academy in 1976. He has commanded an operations group, an air refueling wing, an air mobility wing and the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center. He has also commanded the 3rd Air Force, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, and the 2nd Air Force, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.

He began his speech by thanking the audience for allowing him to come to share the momentous day with the 22 newest pilots.

"Thank you very much and welcome to everybody in attendance," Gould said. "Paula and I are so honored to be here and to be a part of this graduation."

The general spoke about his own UPT graduation many years ago and how he remembered his guest speaker, Brig. Gen. Robbie Risner, a highly regarded Air Force pilot who served in World War II, The Korean War and The Vietnam War. He spoke at great length about Risner and emphasized key themes that were imparted to him on the day of his own graduation.

Winning was one theme. He made the comparison of war to sports, showing how a relatively low success rate in various sports is considered good, while in the military, much more is on the line with a low success chance.

"Winning is important in our world," Gould said. "The business we are all in of defending our country, winning is not a nice thing to have, it is the only thing. The only option we have."

Gould then went into relationships and discussed how even the smallest bit of friendship and trust will take people far.

"We always have to treat everybody with respect," he said. "You never know when you will have to rely on one another in tough times."

Another theme he explained was the difference between self-awareness and situational awareness and how both were necessary.

"Self-awareness is really the key," Gould said. "Situational awareness will certainly prepare you for things that are going to happen, but it's self-awareness that will save your bacon when things really get tough."

For his last theme, Gould emphasized how Risner's faith got him through being a prisoner of war for more than seven years and how it related to him.

"You're going to hit some bumps," Gould said. "You are going to get some curveballs thrown at you that you just don't know how to hit, but if you keep your faith high, you will end up with an epitaph that will look like Robbie Risner's."

He ended with an encouraging statement to the graduates of class 15-10.

"Smile guys; you are in for a great time flying airplanes for your Air Force," Gould said. "God bless you all and God bless America."