Port dawg finds solace in university on wheels

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. J. Justin Pearce
  • 403d Wing Public Affairs
DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, GA --  As aerial port troops scramble through obstacles during the 22nd Air Force Aerial Port ROUNDUP at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., Tech. Sgt. James Corbett is a stone in the river.

On any given day, Sergeant Corbett juggles the responsibilities of being a single parent, entrepreneur, volunteer for the habitat of humanity, full-time college student and reservist for the 30th Aerial Port Squadron from Niagara Falls, N.Y., solid amidst the chaos.

"It's just another day," he said as he helped his fellow teammates through the rigors of the first aerial port competition hosted by 22nd Air Force.

Like a duck on a pond, Sergeant Corbett pedals hard beneath a calm surface. "I guess you figured me out," he said as he shrugged with a smile, like a kid caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

Then he shared his secret.

"I learn a lot in my car from listening to audiobooks," said Sergeant Corbett. "Steven Covey and Dale Carnegie are my favorite authors. Dale Carnegie is practically the founder of leadership ... his principles served as a big inspiration for many other self-help authors today. (Mr.) Carnegie started in 1912 and then it seems like other authors followed suit with his principles."

Sergeant Corbett said he has completed many self-help programs in his "university on wheels," but said three courses in particular influenced him the most. They are: 'The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People,' by Steven Covey; 'The Question Behind the Question,' by John G. Miller, and 'The Leadership Training Course,' by Dale Carnegie.

"I put a lot of focus in the Leadership Training Course," said Sergeant Corbett, who completed it last month. "The course taught me a lot about the various 'drivers' of success," he said. "There are so many different principles I also picked up along the way."

Most of Dale Carnegie's principles revolve around his "Golden Book," which contains a summary of every one of his principles that everyone should live by," said Sergeant Corbett.

These principles inspired him to write "How to Win Friends and Influence People," the most influential business book of the 20th Century, he added.

"It definitely brings you a paradigm shift and changes your frame of reference from pessimism to optimism," he said.

Sergeant Corbett attributed one of Mr. Carnegie's principles to his aerial port team's success in the Materials Handling Equipment drill, an exercise where aerial port members have only a short amount of time to complete a series of on- and off-loading drills.

"I kept reinforcing to my team the need to keep the end goal in mind and not get caught up on the little problems along the way," he said. "The continuous reinforcing to my team helped us stay focused on the goal, move through the course and finish in time."

That reinforcement not only catapulted them to victory, but also impressed the event umpire.

"These guys are one of two teams that have actually nailed the purpose of the event because they actually went through the course in the allotted time, getting the maximum of 150 points," said Master Sgt. Joseph Konar, an umpire for the event and member of the 22nd Aerial Port staff.

Sergeant Corbett said he believed setting a high standard was key to finding success.

"You gotta give your troops a reputation to live up to ... treat your people like winners," he said. "Problems are inevitable, so we focused on the outcome and didn't let the obstacles hinder our focus on the end result."