Begin by learning the playbook Published Aug. 27, 2009 By By Lt. Col. Todd Ellison Deputy Commander, 45th Operations Squadron PATRICK AFB, Fla -- Begin by learning the playbook By Lt. Col. Todd Ellison Deputy Commander, 45th Operations Squadron PATRICK AFB, Fla. --The great basketball player Michael Jordan once said, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." As we prepare for our upcoming inspection, I believe Jordan's quote rings true for our mission areas. Only through teamwork will we succeed in executing all aspects of our mission, and only through teamwork will we excel during our upcoming inspection. But how do we become a great team? First, each of us must know the playbook. Within each career field, there are numerous instructions, laws, and procedures that guide our execution. To truly do our jobs efficiently and effectively, we must know the rules and execute to those standards. There simply are no excuses for not knowing the plays in our playbook. We train, we study, and we practice. Once we're ready, when we have the plays down pat, we execute. Each player on our team has assigned routes to execute. While we function together as a team, we rely on each individual member to execute his or her job the way they have been trained. Individual accountability, attention to detail, and the drive to do your job to the best of your ability will help ensure our plays develop as planned: rockets launch successfully, troops deploy, and our base population receives the support we need to execute our missions. No matter how sharply we execute, we run the risk of a broken play. As a result, we must be prepared to react to the unexpected. We work in a dynamic and dangerous environment, and through our training we learn how to react if something goes differently than planned. During these times, we must turn back to our training to determine the best method to react. Well rehearsed contingency plans, coordinated procedures, clear communications, and a take control attitude will enable you to react correctly and turn broken plays into positive gains. As we press through this time of inspection preparations and bustling operations tempo, I'm proud to be a part of the 45th SW team. I look forward to meeting the challenges ahead of us together. To teamwork!