With great mustache comes great responsibility

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nick Wilson
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  (Editor's Note: This is part one of a two-part series about No-shave November)

Many Airmen think of November simply as the start of the winter season. However, to members of the 509th Comptroller Squadron, it means "No-shave November" is in full -effect!

The Airmen in the squadron are participating in No-shave November to boost camaraderie and raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer.

"I feel that with a great mustache comes great responsibility," said 1st Lt. Zachariah Wood, 509th CPTS financial services officer. "So it shows how Finance is really leading this wing by taking it one step forward, making it even better."

The idea of having men in the squadron and wing staff participate came from a conversation one of the Airmen had with his father over the phone.

"My dad was in the Air Force for 26 years," said Staff Sgt. John Proen, 509th CPTS NCO in charge of financial services. "He's had a mustache since the first day he could grow one."

Proen said it is interesting to see the similarities he has with his father when he grows out his mustache.

No-shave November also helps Airmen keep their spirits up when they need to give themselves a break from the daily grind of supporting personnel at Whiteman.

"It just raises morale because it's fun," Proen said. "It's always funny coming in and seeing how much different someone's mustache looks each day."

Proen said that No-shave November has helped generate a brotherhood among the men in the finance office.

"We agreed that we're not going to shave our mustaches, regardless of whether or not our wives tell us how bad they think it looks," Proen said. "We even said that if something bad happens, and if you wake up in the morning, you look up in the mirror and you're like, 'Oh my gosh what is going on here?! I need to take it off!' look at your recall roster, call your fellow brother and he'll talk you down from shaving your mustache and help you keep it."

To symbolize the camaraderie created by No-shave November, all participants signed a pact promising they will not shave their mustaches until the end of the month.

"We signed in red ink to make it as if you're signing your own blood as a joke," Proen said. "It makes it feel more official."

The biggest motivation for those who signed the pact was a group photo which will be taken at the end of the month to show the progression of everyone's mustaches, Proen said.

"If you decide to shave off the mustache, then you're not going to be in the photo," Proen said. "We have 16 people signed up now and no one's failed yet. Everyone's sticking with it, and I think everyone's going to stay strong until the end."

Before reaching 16 participants, there were only two partakers. However, thanks to word of mouth, the Airmen were able to gain more accomplices.

"There were a couple of people I thought who wouldn't make it this long mainly because they said, 'My wife's going to hate it and she's going to make me shave it,'" Proen said. "Your wives can get by seeing you for a month with a little hair on your face."

Although November is a busy part of the year for members in the finance office, No-shave November helps bring about laughter and a sense of brotherhood that keeps the mission moving.

"We have busier and slower times of the year," Proen said. "Regardless, we're still motivated to come in to work, hang out with the guys and make everyone feel like they're part of the group."