Leadership Speakers Tout Community Partnerships

By Amaani Lyle

American Forces Press Service

MONTEREY, Calif.  – Leaders from each of the services shared their perspectives on how to maintain community ties in an era of efficiencies, stewardship and renewable energy pursuits at a conference here today.

Craig College, deputy assistant chief of staff, installation management; Rear Adm. Dixon Smith, Navy southwest region commander; Jim Holland, deputy for Air Force installation policy; and Dave Clifton, Marine Corps Installation Command deputy spoke at the installation leadership forum during the 2012 Association of Defense Communities Annual Conference.

College lauded initiatives such as The Community Covenant, an Army program designed to foster and sustain effective state and community partnerships with all services to improve the quality of life for soldiers and their families at both current and future duty stations.

“It’s this partnering relationship without the exchange of cash, without the exchange of contracts, that gives me some optimism as we look to things like municipal services … that we have already (a) framework of cooperation that will permit us to figure out how to bring (more) of those kinds of support groups,” College said.

Holland spoke about the community support the Air Force received through a partnership regarding the service’s recent decision to base the F-35 at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The partnership is important not only to the aircraft arrival in fiscal 2015, but also in December 2014 when the Air Force will make its next F-35 basing decision.

Air Force bases throughout the nation have seen local community partnership surges in ventures ranging from resorts to hotels and even to hyperbaric chambers, Holland said, but the aviation aspect is one of the larger pieces of the budget puzzle.

“For every dollar that a barrel of crude goes up, the aviation fuel bill goes up $600 million … so you can see why we watch this,” he said.

The volatility of the market is huge, Holland explained, stressing the urgency of the service looking to the commercial sector to help carry the load for alternative fuels.

Clifton shared Holland’s sentiment regarding budgetary tides. “The pace and volume of change is enormous right now,” he said. “For leadership to have clear priorities, we need to have a good idea about what we can do differently.”

Clifton said the Marine Corps has pushed efficiencies, paring where feasible and adding where needed, specifically with the addition of 22,000 Marines for war, land acquisitions at 29 Palms, Calif., and the in-sourcing of information technology and security forces assets.

Smith, whose command is headquartered in San Diego, acknowledged the vitality of the job market for military, contractors and retirees in his domain.

“One in four jobs in San Diego exists either because the individual is in the military, or a civilian employee of the Department of Defense or a contractor.”

“We cannot do anything within a stovepipe; we have to work with the community,” he said.

With just six months in the region, Dixon said, he already has been asked to join the board for Cleantech Group, a San Diego-based organization in collaboration with about 200 eco-centric companies to develop green solutions for business leaders in the military and private sectors.

“Our military forces and installations are phenomenal stewards of the environment,” Dixon said.

2011 Director’s Community Leadership Awards

The Denver Division is pleased to honor Allan Wick, corporate security and business continuity manager for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc., for devoting his time, talent, knowledge, and expertise to the security of the United States for more than 30 years.

Mr. Wick began his career as a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, where he was awarded two Commendation Medals and one Meritorious Service Medal. Upon retirement from the Air Force, Mr. Wick entered the private sector, working in the oil, gas, and electric utility fields.

Mr. Wick has served in leadership positions with many organizations, such as the American Society for Industrial Security (now referred to as ASIS International), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital Foundation, Rotary International, Urban Area Security Initiative, InfraGard, and the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, class of 2010.

For the past seven years, Mr. Wick has been actively involved with the FBI’s InfraGard program, a partnership program bringing together representatives from the private and public sectors. The group works to help protect our nation’s critical infrastructure, both virtual and physical, from attacks by terrorists and criminals. As the current vice president and West and Southwest regional representative, and past president of the Denver chapter, he has significantly contributed to the growth and vitality of the program. In 2007, he was awarded the Community Outreach Award for his efforts to expand the reach and scope of the Denver InfraGard chapter.

USO Honors Servicemembers’ Leadership

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2011 – Medal of Honor recipient Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer, a Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan in August, a soldier and an Air Force search-and-rescue team member who repeatedly exposed themselves to enemy fire to save their wounded comrades, and a Coast Guardsman who led maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf received the USO’s most prestigious leadership award last night.

The USO presented its George Van Cleave Military Leadership Awards at its 50th annual gala here to one member of each service who demonstrated outstanding commitment and exceptional service, sacrifice and achievement.

In addition to Meyer, this year’s recipients included Army Sgt. 1st Class Ty Carter, the late Navy Chief Special Operator Brian Bill, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael A. Brait, and Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Jason Mortiz.

Here are their stories:

Army Sgt. 1st Class Ty Carter, a section leader assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, was honored for distinguishing himself while serving as a scout in Afghanistan. When his fellow soldiers and a nearby combat outpost came under attack from a battalion-sized enemy force, Carter, a specialist at the time, ran repeatedly through heavy enemy fire to bring critical ammunition to his position.

Armed only with only an M4 carbine, he beat back the assault force for several hours. Despite being wounded, he disregarded his own personal safety to assist a critically wounded comrade. He administered first aid and carried the wounded soldier through withering enemy fire. Throughout the battle, Carter exposed himself to the enemy no fewer than six times as he crossed treacherous ground where eight fellow soldiers were killed.

Carter’s cavalry troop is slated to deploy next spring.

Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer , who received the Medal of Honor during Sept. 15 ceremonies at the White House, is the third living recipient of the nation's highest honor for valor since the Vietnam War and the first living Marine honoree in 41 years. Deployed twice for combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Meyer gained national attention for his heroic actions in Afghanistan’s Kunar province with an embedded training team.

Entering a “kill zone” five times during a six-hour firefight with well-armed insurgents, Meyer extracted the bodies of four fallen comrades, evacuated the wounded and provided essential aid despite his own extensive shrapnel wounds. Ultimately, he single-handedly turned the tide of battle, saving the lives of 13 U.S. service members and 23 Afghan soldiers.

In addition to heroism, presence of mind amid chaos and death, and unselfish devotion to his comrades in the face of danger, Meyer also demonstrated a deep sense of humility. When President Barack Obama honored him, Meyer requested simultaneous commemorative services at other locations to honor the memory of his colleagues killed during the ambush.

Chief Special Warfare Operator Brian Bill was one of 30 U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan Aug. 6 when a Taliban fighter shot down their helicopter during a mission to rescue Army Rangers locked in an intense firefight.

His USO honor, however, was presented for the way he lived his life -- personifying exceptional leadership, team spirit, courage and heart.

Graduating from Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL Training, the world’s most difficult military training, he quickly excelled as a SEAL operator in combat, coordinating and leading 60 direct-action missions, often under fire. After completing a seven-month advanced SEAL Operator Selection Course, Bill earned three Bronze Star Medals with the combat “V” device for Valor. Quoting from his second Bronze Star citation, “As an assistant team leader and sniper on a helo/vehicle interdiction mission, his instant quick thinking ensured the safety of the helo assault force and resulted in elimination of all the enemy fighters.” As noted in his third Bronze Star citation during Operation Enduring Freedom, during a night raid against a heavily barricaded enemy position, Bill fought his way under fire to pull a teammate back to safety.

Bill was honored as a gallant warrior who fought with valor and died with honor.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael A. Brait was honored for demonstrating exceptional leadership and heroism as a special tactics combat controller in Afghanistan. He has maintained more than 3,000 hours of combat search-and-rescue coverage for an elite special operations force and provided helicopter services for 48 resupply missions, including crucial humanitarian assistance to a local Afghanistan village.

During a four-day operation in an insurgent village, Brait was the lead joint terminal attack controller for a combined U.S. Army Special Forces operational detachment. In that role, he conducted a critical nighttime water resupply for severely dehydrated forces, despite extreme heat and the threat of enemy ambush. The following morning, he responded to an attack on naval special forces, using an overhead Predator and Hellfire missile against the insurgents. While under heavy machine gun fire from multiple locations, he helped evacuate injured personnel while continuing to identify and attack enemy forces.

Brait also trained 140 Afghan soldiers on the front line of the U.S. security effort and led a six-month training plan to prepare combat-ready troops. For his bravery and leadership, he received the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal and tAir Force Combat Action Medal.

Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Jason Mortiz distinguished himself as a leader and superior performer while assigned to Patrol Forces Southwest Asia, 5th U.S. Fleet, as the force intelligence officer in support of maritime security operations throughout the region.

His duties included monitoring and analyzing terrorism, smuggling, narcotics and geo-political issues for command decision-making. Moritz also coordinated training and advisory missions with counterpart services throughout the region. The Iraqi program he helped develop and implement was the first of its kind for the new Iraqi military. He was lauded for increasing the command’s situational awareness of regional events, for his sensitivity to the region’s volatile political infrastructure, and insight into cultural and local issues and for superb teamwork.

Moritz’s awards and decorations include three awards of the Coast Guard Commendation Medal. He is currently assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard, Sector New York as a command duty officer.

Command Chief Master Sergeant: Leadership, taking care of Airmen should be the culture

Become as good a leader as the Command Chief Master Sergeant!  Learn from the best military leadership books written by professional military role models.

By Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. John Orrell

National Guard Bureau

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -Taking care of Airmen, getting help when help is needed and leading through engagement is the wingman concept the Air National Guard must continue to embrace, the senior enlisted advisor to the chief of the National Guard Bureau said here last week.

Speaking to senior enlisted members, junior officers and select outstanding junior enlisted members during the Air National Guard’s 2011 Enlisted Leadership Symposium, Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Denise Jelinski-Hall passionately reminded everyone of the necessity of taking care of each other.

“Taking care of our Airmen – it’s important – to create that culture of getting help if help is needed,” she said.

“Their wingman is there, their supervisor is there catch them, to help them, because … you’re engaged, you’ve got eyes on your Airman and taking care of them – that is what is expected of each and every one of you, to ensure we are taking care of our Airmen.”

Focusing on leading through engagement, Jelinski-Hall went through what she called her 10 leadership points.

1. Have a strong work ethic

For this point Jelinski-Hall said it may not be as simple to achieve as it is to explain, but like everything it will take work, focus and drive.

“To achieve any level of success, it takes hard work,” she said. “It takes work, time, effort, commitment, dedication, sacrifice to ensure you give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.”

2. Maintain a strong foundation of core values

Jelinski-Hall said she centers this leadership point around faith, family and life core values, such as integrity, trust, teamwork, doing the right thing and having that inner courage to ensure Guard members stand up for what is right at all times.

“It’s that foundation that as an Airman you are going to continually reach back on, and draw upon, when things get tough.”

3. Attitude, it all begins with attitude

“Everyday it begins with bringing the right attitude to the fight, to the office or wherever you are,” she said. “Have the right attitude. No one can give you that attitude and no one can take it away from you.”

It is up to the Guard member to decide what their attitude is going to be like, she said.

“You chose it everyday – when you wake up … you choose how you’re going to come to work, how you’re going to treat your employees,” she said.

“Attitude will determine your aptitude … and if you’re going to be successful in life you [need] to have that right attitude.”

4. Continual growth of self-development

“Education is absolutely a strategic imperative,” Jelinski-Hall said.

Self-development is also professional education, finding a mentor, being a mentor and volunteering for opportunities to get out of comfort zones, she said.

“Put yourself on a path of self-development. Take advantage of different courses.  Use your opportunities for training,” Jelinski-Hall said.

“Put yourself out there – expand yourself. One thing you can do is to ask a trusted colleague … three questions – ‘What do I need to stop doing? What do I need to start doing? What should I continue to do?’” she said. “Seek out those mentors and ask those questions.”

5. Be ready

“Opportunities come and go, sometimes they’re fleeting and it’s just that crack in the little window … where you’ll be able to sneak in when that opportunity happens,” she said.

It’s about Guard members being available when needed and positioning themselves for the call.

“No matter what level of success you reach continue to ask the question – ‘What do I need to do to prepare for the next thing?’ - so when that moment happens, and leadership taps you on the shoulder … and says it’s your turn, it’s best if you’re ready.

“Give leadership every reason to select you,” Jelinski-Hall said. “You have to prepare for that next opportunity.”

6. Strategic Risks

Guard members should not be afraid to take strategic risks, she said.

“Sometimes in life to go forward you need to do a little lateral side-step, or sometimes you may have to take a step back,” Jelinski-Hall said.

“Think strategically and take that risk. The path is not always straight … there are multiple ways to reach a level of success and leadership. Think strategically about how you are going to accomplish the goals you have set for yourself and your organization.”

7. Reach up, reach down, reach out, reach in

Jelinski-Hall said this point takes work from all Guard members throughout the chain.

“Reach up to supervisors, mentors and read Air Force Instructions.

“Reach down – when you achieve a level of success – it is an inherent responsibility as an Airman to bring someone up with you.

“Reach out to your community – serve, volunteer.”

“And the most difficult is reach in. Reach in to know and understand yourself. Determine your strengths and weaknesses so you can maximize your true potential.”

8. Professionalism

Throughout a Guard member’s career this step should be a constant in everything they do in uniform and out, Jelinski-Hall said.

“Uphold the highest standards of professionalism, both civilian and military,” she said. ‘Be true to those core values. Do what’s right. Treat everyone with dignity and respect and be the best Airman that you can be.”

9. Respectfully don’t take “no” for an answer

Telling a story from when she was trying to become a command chief master sergeant and was told there was no way it would happen for her, Jelinski-Hall said she respectfully questioned why, and took the time to find out how she could, instead of settling for the “no” she received.

“Trust but verify the answer when you are told ‘no’,” she said. Don’t accept the saying “no you can’t” and take the time to research the facts and try to find the “yes you can” solution.

“Many of us ask the question, ‘Can I do it?’ That’s the wrong question. You need to ask, ‘How can I do it?’ It’s a different mindset: It assumes you can already do it – and you can,” Jelinski-Hall said.

10. Be a fire starter

Jelinski-Hall said this point is there to remind Guard members to enjoy what they do or else they become ineffective.

“Have passion and conviction for what you do.  You have to have passion for what you do. And if you do, then this is not work,” she said.

“Get out there and ensure what you do you enjoy. Be excited about what you do, and have conviction to do a good job with that.”

She added that Guard members should use her points as a framework to develop their own throughout their careers, but to not forget how they got there and who helped make it possible.

“We stand on the shoulders of great leaders who have come before us, and you now are charged with doing the very same thing for those coming after you,” Jelinski-Hall said. “Break that glass ceiling and ... make things better for those you lead, those you serve, for those that come after you.”

It is that attitude of leadership and hard work which will allow the Air National Guard to continue building off its history and make things better for future Guard members, she said.

“The skills and ability we have in our National Guard … are the best, not only in America but the entire world.” Jelinski-Hall said. “I am so proud of everything you do each and every day to defend the flag that unites us in purpose.

“Give absolutely everything you have – that’s the difference in all things.”

Face of Defense: Civilian Cited for Preservation Efforts

Become like Scott Shepherd and learn from these military leadership books written by military leaders for the leaders of tomorrow.

By Robert Goetz

502nd Air Base Wing

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE – An Air Force civilian employee who has worked here for years to preserve the base’s architectural heritage is the recipient of a prestigious national award.

Scott Shepherd of the 902nd Civil Engineer Squadron, the installation’s cultural resources manager, has earned the Secretary of the Interior Historic Preservation Award in the Federal Preservation Office category.

"As far as I'm concerned, I can't go any higher than this," said Shepherd, whose service here, in San Antonio, spans more than 20 years.

"Winning this award is unbelievable,” he continued, “but really it's for all the people who have supported historic preservation, from four-star generals to the workers who preserve these buildings."

Robert Rushing, the 902nd squadron’s management flight chief, said Shepherd "has been responsible for the preservation of this invaluable cultural treasure and he has done so with vigor and a call to duty beyond the description of his job."

Richard Trevino, the unit’s commander, said Shepherd has performed "at the highest level" throughout his more than 50 years of federal service.

"By working with Scott, one can easily see his integrity, dedication and professionalism in every aspect of his life," Trevino said. "As our cultural resources manager, he preserves the historical features of Randolph Air Force Base while ensuring no adverse impact to the many diverse missions on base.

“When one looks at the historical beauty and significance of Randolph, there is no doubt Scott deserves this prestigious award," Trevino added.

Shepherd became the cultural resources manager here in 1993, the same year the Texas Historical Commission listed the base among the state's 10 most endangered historic properties. Since then, the 80-year-old "Showplace of the Air Force," known for its Spanish colonial revival-style architecture, has been designated a national historic landmark.

"I'm proud we have 435 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, and we are a national historic landmark," Shepherd said. "That will ensure we protect our historic buildings for the future."

Shepherd was instrumental in obtaining funding and approval to remove paint and restore the high, bay windows on 16 hangars along the east and west flight lines, restoring them to their original condition.

"Adaptive reuse" is a key component of preservation efforts, he said.

"[By] using hangars and other structures as administrative offices, we're still able to maintain the historical significance of buildings, have a functional Air Force base and not affect the mission," he said. "These are historic buildings we can use in the 21st century."

Shepherd said it's the secretary of the interior's guidelines "that tell us what we can and can't to do to these buildings."

This year's Secretary of the Interior Historic Preservation Award recipients also include government and tribal employees in three other categories.

"In presenting these awards, I am giving thanks on behalf of all Americans to these extraordinary professionals for their outstanding contributions to historic preservation," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said. "Their skill, dedication and professionalism are ensuring that the story of America continues to be passed down to future generations."

Face of Defense: Airman Ranger Leads the Way

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Brigitte N. Brantley-Sisk

23rd Wing Public Affairs

FORT BENNING, Ga., May 11, 2011 – The course began with 404 students. After 61 days of fast-paced, stressful situations that pushed the students’ physical and mental limits, only 191 remained and just one graduate would be an airman.

Airman 1st Class Matthew Garner, a member of the 823rd Base Defense Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., is one of the fewer than 300 Air Force members to have completed Army Ranger School training conducted here and to earn the coveted Ranger’s tab since the school opened in the 1950s.

"I wanted to become a Ranger to find out what my limits were," said Garner, who graduated Ranger School April 29. "Completing the course helped me realize there were no limits. The course is designed to help you find out who you really are. You're tired and hungry, and surrounded by chaos and confusion in the worst of conditions, but you still have to overcome adversity and get the job done."

Garner was chosen to fill one of just six slots allocated to the Air Force each year for the Ranger School course.

The students were isolated during the nine weeks of the course as they learned the necessary combat skills to qualify for the Ranger tab.

"We were allowed [to receive] mail during most parts of the course, and that was definitely a morale booster," Garner said. "What really helped each person get through the training was their team. It takes a lot of individual effort, but nobody earns the Ranger tab on their own. If someone was having a particularly rough day, the teammates would help support them."

To bolster the team concept, he said, none of the students wore rank insignia.

The Ranger School provides instruction in demolitions, mountaineering, leading a platoon-sized patrol, combat arms proficiency, land navigation, and water survival.

Ranger training is conducted in different environments, including mountains and a coastal swamp. Each phase tests the students' commitment and stamina as they endure severe weather, hunger, and mental, physical and emotional stress.

"Because I went through the Air Force pre-Ranger course, I felt like I had really been set up for success," Garner said. "Overall, I put about 10 months of intense training into earning my Ranger tab."

Garner said he credits two people with helping him the most during the preparation process: his father, Don Garner, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Seth Hunter.

"We're very proud of him for serving his country and accomplishing something like this," Garner’s father said. "Even as a young man, he was always into exercising and doing things that weren't expected of him.”

"My father helped me develop the mental fortitude to drive forward and never quit," Garner said. "He was like a personal coach and gave me some memorable 'don't quit' talking sessions. During the Ranger course, the temptation to quit is always there, so that really helped."

Garner also credited Hunter for his success, noting Hunter, too, is a Ranger School graduate.

"I graduated from Ranger school in October 2010 and then helped assess Airman Garner during his pre-Ranger course late last year," said Hunter, who possesses sharpshooter and sniper skills. "We spent a lot of time training and preparing for this, and I'm super proud of him.

Only 30 percent of Ranger School students make it through the entire course without being recycled, Hunter said.

"His graduation is an outstanding accomplishment, especially for someone his age,” Hunter said. “The leadership and combat skills he's gained during Ranger School will be very beneficial to his unit."

The graduation included a Ranger skills demonstration, which showcases rappelling, demolitions, extraction by helicopter and hand-to-hand combat abilities.

Garner is scheduled to attend the U.S. Army Airborne School this month to become an Airborne Ranger.

Donald E. Oswald Named Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s Minneapolis Division

Director Robert S. Mueller, III appointed Donald E. Oswald the special agent in charge of the Minneapolis Division. In this role, he will oversee the FBI’s operations in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. He most recently served as the chief inspector in the Office of Inspections.

Mr. Oswald entered on duty as a special agent in May 1992. He served in the Los Angeles Division and investigated bank robberies and street gang activities and also served as a division legal advisor. In 1994, he transferred to the New York Division, where he investigated complex multi-agency public corruption matters. Mr. Oswald also served for more than three years as associate division counsel in the New York Division.

Mr. Oswald was promoted in February 2000 to supervisory special agent in the Office of the General Counsel at FBI Headquarters and was assigned to the Investigative Law Unit. There, he provided advice and counsel concerning investigative operations and proposed undercover operations. Mr. Oswald’s tour at FBI Headquarters also included an assignment as assistant inspector in the Office of Inspections.

In July 2003, Mr. Oswald was transferred to the Miami Division as a field supervisor for the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force squad, which was responsible for investigating matters related to state sponsors of terrorism. He also served as the division’s international terrorism program coordinator and was responsible for assisting with evaluating resource utilization and progress toward the goals and objectives of seven counterterrorism squads.

Mr. Oswald was promoted in December 2005 to assistant special agent in charge of the Miami Division’s Field Intelligence Group, which included oversight of surveillance operations. Mr. Oswald also served as the chairman of the Southeast Florida Regional Domestic Security Task Force’s investigations and intelligence committee and is distinguished as the first federal official to serve in such a capacity in the state of Florida.

During 2008, Mr. Oswald served on the FBI’s Strategic Execution Team (SET), developing plans for the phased implementation of the intelligence operations portion of the SET mission, for which he received a Director’s Award for excellence in intelligence analysis and leadership.

In December 2008, Mr. Oswald was promoted into the FBI’s senior executive service in the Inspection Division.

Mr. Oswald was born in Brick Township, New Jersey. He served in the U.S. Air Force and New Jersey Air National Guard and received his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Trenton State College in New Jersey. Later, he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Nova University Law School and became a member of the Florida bar.

Before joining the FBI, he served as a police officer and detective in Brick Township and as a deputy sheriff and detective in Broward County, Florida. After graduating from law school, he practiced law and was appointed as a traffic magistrate for Broward County, where he presided in traffic court.

Face of Defense: Retired NCO Continues to Mentor

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi

65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

LAJES FIELD, Azores, April 6, 2011 – Many people know Cynthia Burney as a counselor at the Airman and Family Readiness Center here. But not many may know she retired as a chief master sergeant after 26 years of service in the Air Force.

When she enlisted in the Air Force 33 years ago, Burney said, she knew she was going to get an education. She earned two associate degrees, a bachelor's degree with honors and two master's degrees before she retired.

Cynthia would also gain a husband, Garrick Burney. They've been married 27 years and both retired as Air Force chief master sergeants. Garrick retired three years ago after 30 years of service.

The story of the two retired chiefs began in the 1970s before they met. They had separate goals and came from different backgrounds. But fate and the Air Force brought them together.

While Cynthia came from a military family, Garrick did not. Cynthia's father was in the Army at Fort Bragg, N.C., and Garrick's only military tie was living close to a military base in Indiana.

Coming from a family of 11 siblings, four of Cynthia's five brothers joined the Army. Her goal, she said, was to travel and get an education. She knew the military was one way to achieve that goal.

When she was in the 11th grade, an Air Force recruiter visited her school and talked about the opportunity to go to college and travel the world. Right there, Cynthia said, she knew the recruiter was talking directly to her, and she was going to join the Air Force, despite being in Army ROTC at the time.

Garrick also had a large family, and his parents couldn’t afford college for him. Driven to get a skill that would last him a lifetime, he often worked with summer hires cutting grass for a civil engineering unit and planned to join the Air Force.

When the time came for Garrick to join the service, a job opening happened to come up in the civil engineering department. Unlike Cynthia, Garrick said he wasn’t enticed by any recruiter or his parents to join the Air Force. He was simply attracted to the Air Force by the image of "sharp airmen" who visited his town decked out in their uniforms.

After two years of service as a pavement maintenance specialist, the Air Force sent Garrick to Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where he met Cynthia, then a jet engine mechanic sergeant. The pair married two years later.

"We've both always been goal-oriented," Cynthia said. "That is one of the things that really kept us together as a couple."

As an Army brat, Cynthia already knew about discipline. She was used to following rules, she said, so she didn't have any problems after joining the Air Force. Later, she decided to become a counselor.

"I knew I wanted to be a counselor when my fellow coworkers and friends would always come and talk with me about different issues or problems," she said.

"I knew I could make better use of my life's gifts as a counselor,” she said, “and Garrick encouraged and supported me.”

She described her husband as a mentor in teaching her about the Air Force.

Garrick said he also learned from his wife.

"Together, we were able to meld our careers and bounce things off each other about life," Garrick said.

"We never really got to the point where I was telling her what to do, and she wasn't telling me what to do," he added.

Cynthia now is assigned to the 65th Force Support Squadron as the community readiness consultant for the Airman and Family Readiness Center. Though a lot has changed since the Burneys joined the Air Force and met each other, they said one thing hasn’t changed -- the Air Force always needs good mentors.

As a former enlisted member, military spouse and mother of three, Cynthia said, she has vast experience as a counselor, and enjoys continuing her commitment to serve.

Leaders Emphasize Importance of Moral Courage, Candor

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2011 – Telling the boss what he or she wants to hear is easy. But what are service members to do when asked to provide professional advice or a recommendation, knowing it runs contrary to what the senior leader wants or expects?

That’s the dilemma discussed yesterday at a military professionalism conference organized at the request of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has said he counts candor and moral courage among the essential qualities for 21st-century military leadership. Speaking last spring at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., he cited several Naval Academy graduates who rose to greatness largely because they recognized the need to sometimes buck institutional resistance.

“One of the key reasons they were successful was because they were willing to speak truth to power -- willing to tell superiors what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear,” Gates told the midshipmen.

Mullen, speaking last spring at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation and commissioning in Colorado Springs, Colo., challenged the new officers to be leaders demonstrating loyalty, integrity and imagination as they live up to their commissioning oath. But he warned them that their loyalty should never be blind.

"Few things are more important to an organization than people who have the moral courage to question the direction in which the organization is headed, and then the strength of character to support whatever final decisions are made," the chairman told the cadets.

Speaking at the National Defense University’s conference on “Introspection and Reflection on Basic Tenets and the Way Ahead” yesterday, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack L. Rives and retired Army Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton, Jr., shared their own experiences of what it’s like to offer guidance that doesn’t necessarily track with what the higher-ups want.

Rives, the Air Force’s judge advocate general after the 9/11 terror attacks, played a pivotal role in a broad range of legal deliberations and activities regarding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, including detainee operations.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton, Jr., who rose through the ranks from a private serving in a segregated Army during World War II to commander of VII Corps during the Cold War, helped pave the way to fully integrate women into the military.

Both found themselves negotiating difficult waters and sometimes bucking the establishment along the way.

Rives kicked off yesterday’s panel discussion by reciting the oath every officer takes when receiving a military commission. “That is really all the guidance you need,” he told the attendees, key leaders of the military education and training community. Pausing, he added with a smile, “Of course, the devil is in the details.”

Military members have a responsibility to remain apolitical even when reporting to political figures, Rives said, reiterating a key point made earlier in the day by Mullen as well as retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman.

“It’s important to realize that your oath is to [protect and defend] the Constitution,” Rives said. “It is not to a political party. It is not to an administration. It is not to a person…We owe our allegiance and loyalty to the country and its Constitution.”

When testifying before Congress, Rives said he knew he was bound by a promise to provide his best military guidance and when asked, his personal opinion, even when it didn’t jibe with the administration’s position.

“You have to live with yourself. You look at yourself in the mirror each day,” he said. “So you shouldn’t be motivated by, ‘What is this going to do for or to my career if I give my boss certain advice. Your obligation is to give the best advice possible.”

When he shares that conviction with younger officers and advises them to do what they believe is right, Rives said they sometimes balk. “They say, ‘It’s easy for you to say, you’re a three-star general,’” he told the group. “I thought about it and said, ‘Really, it’s easy for you to do as well, because you have to live with yourself. You look at yourself in the mirror each day. And you shouldn’t be motivated by, ‘What is this going to do for or to my career?’”

Rives said he knew during his career he’d given his commanders advice they didn’t like hearing. “But in almost every case, later they showed some appreciation for me telling them what I believed was my best advice,” he said. “So, ‘To thine own self be true’ is what I have to say.”

Becton echoed Rives’ conviction as he shared 12 basic principles that formulated his philosophy of command. Among them: Integrity is non-negotiable. Challenge assertions. And disagreement is not disrespect.

These proved invaluable as he charted the course in helping the Army move beyond isolated billets for the women who were just beginning to enter the military ranks and policies that sounded good on paper but simply didn’t apply in real life.

“A good approach is, ‘How do you feel looking at the person in the mirror in the morning when you have made a decision?’” Becton said. “If you can live with that, I say, fine. If that causes you a problem, maybe you ought to go back and take another look.”

Asked during a question-and-answer period about the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that had prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, Rives offered a response as direct and unvarnished as those he had challenged the audience to present their leaders.

A law is a law and military members must obey it, he said, regardless of their personal feelings about it.

“If it is a legal requirement, they have no choice but to comply,” he said. “If you have a member of the military who feels strongly that they cannot serve in the military because the military will permit someone who is a declared homosexual to serve openly, then their decision will [have] to be to leave the military.”

Face of Defense: Airman Shares Fitness Success Story

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Armando A. Schwier-Morales

22nd Air Refueling Wing

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan., Oct. 29, 2010 – Deployed airmen face many challenges, but Air Force Staff Sgt. Michelle Rose transformed her mental and physical obstacles into a fitness success story.

Rose, noncommissioned officer in charge of 22nd Operations Support Squadron aviation resource management, began her battle to improve her fitness in September 2009. Her physical fitness test score was 76 points, one point from failing, and it affected many parts of her life.

"I weighed 175 pounds and was completely unhappy with myself," she said. "My self-esteem was low; therefore, I never wanted to go out when friends asked me."

Rose’s transformation began when she deployed to Southwest Asia.

"The day after I got to my deployed location, I went to the gym in the coalition compound," she said. "I asked for a workout plan, and a civilian employee offered to train me."

With the help of friends, Rose continued her regimen during her deployment and dropped 45 pounds.

"I trained six days a week for 114 days, and cardio and weightlifting was the key to my success," she said.

Rose returned here in December 2009 with a changed mind set and a new lifestyle. She scored 94.9 points on her physical training test.

"The changes have made her healthier and have given her a more positive outlook on life and the future," said Air Force Master Sgt. Clayton Raub, the squadron’s chief of host aviation resource management. The changes in Rose’s personal life led to improvements in her professional life, Raub added.

"She is able to supervise and lead better, because now she can come from the standpoint [of] 'I am doing this, and there is no reason you can't,'" he explained.

Rose has been leading and encouraging others in her squadron during their physical training.

"When we PT, she is leading it and putting her energy out on other people, … and they take it well," Raub said. "How can you not take it from someone that actually went from where she was to where she is now?"

Down to 117 pounds and striving for a perfect score, Rose said she will continue to improve her health every day by improving on all aspects of her life.

"I will continue to always be physically fit -- and the happiness that it has brought me is more than words can describe," she said.