2.2 The Air Force Core Values & Their Virtues

Why Section 1C Is the Highest-Value Page in AFH 1

The Airman Development and Testing Chart (ADTC) assigns every AFH 1 section a required comprehension level per grade. Almost every tested section sits at B (Understanding) for SSgt and TSgt. Section 1C — Air Force Core Values — is level C (Applying) for SSgt, TSgt, MSgt, SMSgt, and CMSgt alike. It is the only section in the handbook rated that high at every grade.

Practically, that means core-values items are not limited to "name the third core value." Expect short scenarios where you must decide which value or virtue governs a situation.

The Three Core Values

Integrity First · Service Before Self · Excellence In All We Do

AFH 1 describes core values as "universal, consistent standards used to evaluate the ethical climate of all USAF organizations" and, in wartime language, as "the beacons that light the path of professional conduct and the highest ideals." The handbook stresses that core values "define our very identity through a common bond among all professional Airmen — past and present."

The order is fixed and testable. Integrity First is first because AFH 1 calls integrity "the bedrock for our military endeavors" and "the foundation upon which trust, and respect are built."

The Nine Virtues

AFH 1 defines each core value by three virtues — "desired behaviors and characteristics." Nine total. Get these into a 3×3 grid and the majority of Chapter 1 items become free points.

A very common distractor swaps a virtue across rows — for example, offering "accountability" under Service Before Self, or "respect" under Integrity First. Both words genuinely appear elsewhere in Chapter 1 (respect is called the root of professionalism in 1A), which is what makes the swap convincing.

Integrity First — Honesty, Courage, Accountability

• Honesty is "the hallmark of integrity." As public servants, Airmen are trusted agents; honesty requires evaluating performance against standards and conscientiously and accurately reporting findings. "Our word must be unquestionable."
• Courage is "not the absence of fear but doing the right thing despite fear." It empowers Airmen to take necessary personal or professional risks, make unpopular decisions, and admit mistakes.
• Accountability "instills our responsibility while maintaining transparency and ownership for our actions." Accountable individuals maintain transparency, seek honest and constructive feedback, and take ownership of outcomes.

AFH 1's working definition of integrity itself: "doing the right thing, all the time, whether everyone is watching, or no one is watching." An individual realizes integrity "when thoughts and actions align with what he or she knows to be right."

Chapter 1 also carries a quotation from CMSAF JoAnne S. Bass, the 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force: "The foundation of our Profession of Arms is, and has always been, respect." Note the attribution carefully — Bass is the 19th CMSAF; the handbook's foreword is signed by CMSAF David A. Flosi, the 20th.

Service Before Self — Duty, Loyalty, Respect

AFH 1 defines Service Before Self as "an abiding dedication to the age-old military virtue of selfless dedication to duty, including putting one's life at risk if called to do so," and reduces it to a rule: "professional duties take precedence over personal desires."

• Duty is "the obligation to perform what is required for the mission." Responsibilities are determined by law, DoD, and Air Force instructions, but the sense of duty is personal and bound by the oath.
• Loyalty is "an internal commitment to the success and preservation of something bigger than ourselves," and AFH 1 orders it: nation first, the values and commitments of our USAF second, and the men and women with whom we serve third. Loyalty requires trusting, following, and executing leaders' decisions even when we disagree, while offering alternatives "most effectively through the chain of command."
• Respect encompasses self-respect, mutual respect, and organizational respect.

The ordering of loyalty is a favorite item. If an option puts loyalty to your co-workers or your unit ahead of loyalty to the nation, it is wrong by AFH 1's own sequence.

Excellence In All We Do — Mission, Discipline, Teamwork

AFH 1 is careful here: Excellence "does not mean that we demand perfection in everything from everyone." It means Airmen "continuously advance our craft and increase our knowledge," seek developmental education, stay in "physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and moral shape," and sustain "a passion for deliberate continuous improvement and innovation."

• Mission focus "encompasses operations and excellence in stewardship."
• Discipline is "an individual commitment to uphold the highest of personal and professional standards," shown in attitude, work ethic, and effort.
• Teamwork recognizes "the interdependency of every member's contribution": carry your own weight and, when necessary, help your wingmen carry theirs.

Applying the Values (Level C)

When an item forces a choice between values, use this precedence logic drawn from the chapter itself:

1. Integrity is non-negotiable. No mission benefit justifies a false report; honesty requires accurate reporting against standards.
2. Service Before Self resolves personal-versus-professional conflicts — but it never authorizes an integrity violation.
3. Excellence governs how the work gets done once the first two are satisfied — continuous improvement, stewardship, and team effort.

A scenario in which an Airman is tempted to sign off on an unfinished inspection to protect the unit's metrics is an integrity item, not a teamwork item, no matter how much the wording emphasizes the team.