Reflections of a Servant Leader ― My Journey As the Longest Serving Airman in U. S. Air Force History

Growing up in a family of sharecroppers in the segregated South in the 1950s and ‘60s, Al Flowers never dreamed of becoming a history-maker. Lying in his bed late at night and looking up at the sky through the holes in the tin roof of his four-room home perched among the tobacco fields of eastern North Carolina, he just yearned to find some way out of poverty. At 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Earning a pay of $94 per month at his first assignment as a warehouseman in North Dakota, he put aside $30 of his monthly check to save for his future and to someday buy a proper home for the grandmother who loved and raised him. He believed that if he worked hard, followed the rules and demonstrated the right attitude no matter where he was sent or what he was asked to do, he might eventually retire as a Chief Master Sergeant. He did not meet that goal—he soared much, much higher! Overcoming every challenge and obstacle in his path, he became an officer after 13 years as an enlisted man and went on to earn an impeccable reputation as a trusted servant leader. When he finally retired, Alfred K. Flowers had risen to the rank of Major General whose last assignment had been to manage the entire $170 billion annual Air Force budget. He was hailed as the longest serving airman in the history of the Air Force, and the longest-serving active-duty African American in all the branches in the history of the Defense Department. How did he come so far from his roots mired in extreme economic, educational and social hardship? In his own words, Major General Flowers chronicles his astounding American success story. Along the way, he shares the wisdom he has gained about perseverance, commitment, leadership and what it means to be a dedicated servant for our country. Today, Major General Flowers travels all across the U.S. and beyond inspiring men and women of all ages and backgrounds to summon the courage to lift themselves out of any hardship and challenge they may face and go after their true goals and dreams. In this book, he extends the same inspirational message, while also providing valuable lessons on leadership and seasoned advice on how to navigate a military career for those who choose to serve. Finally, he conveys a passionate reminder to never forget those who have loved, supported and guided you along your path to success.