Courses and Workshops

Modeling Future Heroes - A Practical Application of Human Values
Inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen
A Course in Principles, Values, Problem Solving, and Conflict Resolution for Our Schools, Business, and Military
Copyrighted©2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 by Roger F. Cram

The Tuskegee Airmen and Women were the first, black, military pilots and support crews in the United States. Starting in 1941, they were an experiment
designed for failure to show everyone that blacks did not possess the intelligence, courage, or ability to fly or manage aircraft. However, despite cruel
discrimination, inferior equipment, unreasonable standards, restricted rights, limited privileges, insufficient opportunities, and little support, the Tuskegee Airmen
succeeded beyond all reason with unprecedented achievements still unmatched today! They fought and died for a country that gave them fewer rights as citizens
than were often granted captured German soldiers confined in US military prisoner-of-war camps.

Because of their incredible success, they were often kept a secret, thus they did not embarrass the military leaders, congressmen, senators, and
other government officials that were so openly vocal about their impending failure and incompetence.

How did the Tuskegee Airmen Overcome So Many Obstacles While Under Such Duress?

When the Tuskegee Airmen’s endurance was questioned, their reply was to endure. When the Tuskegee Airmen’s reliability scrutinized, they
answered with dependability and trust. The Tuskegee Airmen knew responding with insults to those demeaning them would only make them
demeaning as well, and creating less than excellent work for those believing them incompetent would only prove their critics correct. To those
who treated them without dignity, they were not indignant, and to those showing them disrespect, they were not disrespectful. The Tuskegee
Airmen decided how they behaved; they did not base it on how others behaved toward them. To demonstrate their exceptional internal values,
the Tuskegee Airmen formed an allegiance with those plotting their failure and demise, and to validate their strength of character, they excelled
beyond expectations for those believing them to be substandard. Therefore, each morning the Tuskegee Airmen tried to take total control, not
over others, but over how they reacted to them.

The Tuskegee Airmen's ability to accomplish nearly impossible tasks while operating in an environment of extreme duress is a talent that must
be passed on to others, and the knowledge of how to defeat one's enemies while maintaining their enemy's dignity is a skill that must be preserved for
the enrichment of future generations.

Today’s economy, competing in a world market with other countries paying cheaper labor, with China and the European Union on the horizon
of becoming dominant economic powers, with many foreign school systems providing a more rigorous and demanding education for their youth,
we, in this country, need to renew our values, ethics, principles, conflict resolution techniques, and problem solving abilities if we expect to compete.

The only thing that is certain anywhere is change, and our country’s reputation, economic dominance, reliability, and accountability are seemingly
in a state of change throughout the world. It is most timely and necessary that the Tuskegee Airmen’s values be instilled in this nation – in our schools, in
our youth, in our businesses, in our governmental agencies, and in our families – everywhere!

Dictionary Definitions of Obstacles: something that impedes one's progress, something that offers resistance to success, something interfering with the completion of one's goals.

The Tuskegee Airmen's Definition of Obstacles: a welcomed opportunity for growth, an opportunity to learn and master new skills, a challenge enriched with the rewards of self-confidence and wisdom.

Modeling Future Heroes
A Practical Application of Human Values

Problem Solving, Conflict Resolution, and Goal-Reaching Techniques
The Tuskegee Airmen 4-Test GAP (Goal Assurance Protection) Matrix Model

     A problem-solving matrix was developed for resolving today's problems based on how the Tuskegee Airmen solved and addressed their
nearly insurmountable goals. It has been tested in multiple environments and found extremely effective. This approach may be used in team,
individual, personal, or negotiation problem solving and emphasizes a positive solution to problems preventing them from escalating into a crisis.
Care must be used to select the largest goal; therefore, the problem must be an encountered obstacle (stepping stone) in reaching your main goal. The problem is never the goal! The goal is always an extremely high accomplishment when compared to the problem. There are usually many solutions to the problem that will hamper or destroy any possibility of reaching the goal. There are usually fewer solutions to the problem that will assist in reaching the goal. Therefore, the Tuskegee Airmen’s 4-Test GAP solution solves the problem while bringing you closer to your goal
without “burning any bridges” or creating additional problems that must be addressed later. Negative feelings often create future problems and are avoided in the model. Evaluating alternative solutions automatically occurs by repeating the model in sequential phases until a satisfactory action is reached.
     The Tuskegee Airmen 4-Test GAP model also helps verify that the problem is stated correctly. If a satisfactory solution does not start to form after 3 phases, you might want to restate the problem. For example, you might think the problem is your top salesmen are not working hard enough because sales are declining, but the real problem is your competition has a better and cheaper alternative for your product and you need to modernize your product line to better compete.
     The Tuskegee Problem Solving Model also helps avoid harsh instinctual responses allowing more time for non-instinctual free choice decisions. However, if a fight-or-flight instinctual solution is required, the model amazingly allows for such an occurrence.

Summary of Advantages of Tuskegee Airmen 4-Test GAP Problem Solving Model

The model can be used for business, political, diplomatic, family, and personal problems.
The model can be used for minor annoyance problems through major-crises situations.
The model can be used in individual or in team and group environments.
The model puts the problem into its proper perspective with the goal.
This keeps problem solutions from endangering the goal.
This often eliminates the problem by making it insignificant or turns it into an unforeseen advantage.
If the problem is not stated correctly, which is often the case, it should become apparent within 3 phases.
The Model helps insure that the Desired Solution is realistic, for often there are better solutions than the initially desired results.
The chosen solution always creates an advance toward the ultimate goal.
The chosen solution takes care not to create new problems that must be dealt with later (burning bridges or alienating others).
The model can be used for practicing passive excellence and human-values implementation.

For an introductory lesson using the Tuskegee Airmen GAP Problem-Solving Matrix-click on the red tail.

New Terms and Levels-of-Learning Created for this Course

The following terms and levels of learning were created to explain the components of this course. Each of the 5 sequential levels of learning
bring a higher plain of understanding about humans and their instincts, free choices, behavior, and values.

Modeling Future Heroes
A Practical Application of Human Values

The Five Terms Created for this Course
Developed by Roger F. Cram from his research into how heroes of peace resolved problems and conflict.

The Five New Terms and Levels of Learning Created for this Course

The First Level of Learning - Instinctual Behaviors - Term (1) - Non-Instinctual Free Choice: Learning to recognize counter productive, instinctual, knee-jerk reactions (aggression, dominance, jealousy, possessiveness, the need to always be right, etc.), and being able to make a behavioral change to positively countermeasure these reactions. For example: Using reason and negotiation instead of retaliatory aggression when encountering conflict and maintaining your enemy’s dignity throughout their defeat and recovery. (Researched from The Curse of Being Human by Jack Soules, professor emeritus at Cleveland State University and associate member of the North Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen)

The Second Level of Learning – Term (2) - Passive Excellence: Leading by quiet example while influencing change, not by criticizing others, but by demonstrating ones excellence, talent, and abilities; performing with highest of standards under adverse conditions, not to please others, but to satisfy your internal value system; peacefully confronting ridicule and criticism by repeatedly producing quality in all endeavors. (Developed from the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy)

The Third Level of Learning – Term (3) - Self-Actualization Engagement: Based only on human values and without regard for consequences, making immediate, accurate, and critical decisions - often during a major crises – guided by the obligation of service to others. Realizing and justifying the immediate need to “…march into hell for a heavenly cause.” (Developed from the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy and the twenty-one world heroes of peace.)

The Fourth Level of Learning – Term (4) - Ego-Free Compassion: Performing acts of generosity and kindness for others - often strangers - anonymously, without receiving satisfaction, recognition, or reward from any source other than from deep within; giving simply to increase the amount of goodness in the world. (Developed from Hal Reichle, U.S. Army helicopter pilot killed in the 1991 Gulf War & the resulting world-wide organization, SSSSH)

The Fifth Level of Learning – Term (5) - Human-Values Implementation: Empowering our behavior with the tools of non-instinctual free choice, ego-free compassion, passive excellence, and self-actualization engagement, thus becoming the master of ourselves while enriching other people and the world around us. (Developed from the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy and our impoverished world heroes of peace.)

Developed and Copyrighted © Roger F. Cram, July 2006, from his studies of the Tuskegee Airmen Legacy and other heroes of peace.

We all need inspirational heroes as role models for our lives. Unfortunately, today's heroes are often sports figures, celebrities, and rock stars whose lives are laced with controversy as well as frequent appearances in our over-crowed court rooms. We need, however, exemplary heroes with proven values demonstrating respect for their fellow humans. We need to understand conflict resolution practices ending in peaceful solutions with dignity and respect being preserved for all sides. We need to understand and value a work ethic showing the rewards for diligence and quality coupled with the many benefits of continuing our education throughout our lives. Forgiveness should preside over revenge, and acceptance and learning from another's diversity should easily outshine the dull embers of discrimination.

We found other heroes of peace have similar value systems and conflict-resolution techniques as the Tuskegee Airmen and Women. All these wonderful role models mirror each other's value system indicating common characteristics of human goodness universally used to fight for peace, righteousness, and human dignity. This course, therefore, also studies the similarities between our world heroes of peace and the Tuskegee Airmen. This serves as positive reinforcement for the remarkable effectiveness of these values.

Our Selected List of Heroes Who Solved Their Problems with Values Similar Benjamin O. Davis Jr. and the Tuskegee Airmen

Students with low self-esteem sometimes respond with reserve to the inspirational stories and accomplishments of our selected heroes. Many of these students believe they are not privileged to either the advantages or opportunities enjoyed by our selected role models. As an example, a student might say, Yes, Nelson Mandela was poor, but he had political connections that opened doors for his career. I do not have these political connections. Another student has commented, The Tuskegee Airmen's accomplishments were remarkable especially considering the extreme prejudice under which they were forced to operate, but they had a rare opportunity that I do not have.

To help combat these negative attitudes, several other heroes were researched that do not appear on the above list. Some of these unknown heroes are almost destitute themselves and often live in ghettoes without electricity and or water. Others are more fortunate, but have dedicated their lives to the betterment of humanity. It was necessary to find heroes of great accomplishments that often have fewer assets and advantages than my students, but utilize Tuskegee Airmen values in their everyday lives. An enlightening realization occurs when students realizes they have far more assets, opportunities, and advantages than many of these unknown heroes. The students then see their unrealized potential and possibilities, become encouraged, develop determination, and look toward the future with renewed hope. It's a wonderful transition to witness.

	ARMED WITH THE WEAPONS OF EXCELLENCE, DIGNITY, AND ENDURANCE
	INC
Carol Ann Ruggie	EXPLORING THE AWESOME POTENTIAL OF BEING HUMAN	Roger F. Cram