AFGSC commander visits MAFB, promotes force improvement

by Capt. Jeff M. Nagan
Minot Air Force Base public Affairs

2/11/2014 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The commander of Air Force Global Strike Command toured Minot Air Force Base, Feb. 3-7, meeting with Airmen of all ranks and familiarizing himself with the mission during his first visit since taking command in October of 2013.

Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson and his wife, Nancy, arrived at Minot immediately following Nuclear Surety Inspections of the 5th Bomb Wing and 91st Missile Wing, which also recently completed a Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection.

"There were pretty spectacular results for both the NSI and NORI," Wilson said. "We had a joint oversight team of independent outside agencies looking at how we do business. Across the board, both wings, the 91st and the 5th, just did a terrific job. Team Minot crushed it."

Wilson's visit also comes just weeks after reports of a test compromise at Malmstrom AFB.

"This was not a mission problem; this was an integrity problem amongst a small group of people that didn't uphold our core values," Wilson said. "A small number violated that integrity, and it caused us all to take a deep, hard look at how we do business. So we are."

Wilson's visit served as an opportunity to communicate to Airmen and community leaders about the Force Improvement Program, an AFGSC initiative to identify potential improvement areas and generate "grass root" solutions, Wilson said. The program involves four teams of experts from the operations, maintenance, security and mission support specialties going to each base to meet with their peers and work with them to identify challenges in their respective mission areas. Their recommended solutions will go directly to Wilson.

"The focus is on young company grade officers and [noncommissioned officers] who are in the business doing the job - they understand it better than anybody," Wilson said. "Let's take their ideas, let's look at it, and let's act upon those things."

The team's findings will be part of comprehensive plan on efforts aimed at improving the force, Wilson said.

"The only filter is me," Wilson said. "It's coming from those four groups, and it's coming direct to me. Those things that I can solve, I'm going to solve. Those that I can't, I'm taking to our Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Air Force. Those that they can't solve, we are taking to the Secretary of Defense."

The goal is to make lasting changes to make the Air Force better for the future, added Wilson.

"Over the last five years since standing up Air Force Global Strike Command, we have focused on this enterprise," Wilson said. "Those that came before have done some tremendous things for our Air Force and nation. We are on a journey, and we are going to continue that journey."

During Wilson's visit, he also highlighted four focus areas, aimed at improving each AFGSC base, not only impacting operations but also morale and education, he added.

"We're going to continue to focus on making sure we have a safe, secure and effective nuclear force," Wilson said. "Air Force Global Strike Command has two legs of the nuclear triad, the bomber and ICBM legs. We are going to make sure we are organized, equipped and trained to be able to do that to a high standard. We cannot take our eye off that ball. It's too important for our nation."

Every day, more than 1,000 of the 25,000 Airmen within AFGSC are deployed, Wilson said. It is critical that they are prepared, trained and equipped to perform that mission. However, the mission also depends on continuing to strengthen and empower the team, he added.

"We are going to continue the efforts of those before us," Wilson said. "We have reinvigorated, we strengthened, and now we are going to broaden and deepen our understanding of the culture as well as empowering those young Airmen and NCOs to do their job, making sure they understand they are part of an elite team of professionals."

Wilson's last focus area revolves around "shaping the future." This requires balancing the fiscal challenges of today with the need to modernize the Air Force inventory and ensure a trained and ready force, Wilson said. Equally important is a need to be able to effectively articulate that to policy makers within the Pentagon and Congress, he added.

Team Minot, which includes not only both wings, but also the community, is crucial to continuing MAFB's success, Wilson added. However, he said he leaves here knowing the mission remains in solid, capable hands.

"What I've seen here in this last week has given me a lot of optimism to see the people doing the mission, across the spectrum," Wilson said. "We have some unbelievably dedicated, smart, committed, Airmen passionate about their business doing some terrific work, 24/7/365."

Guard, Reserve Airmen graduate JBER's first SNCO leadership development course

by Tech. Sgt. Dana Rosso
477th Fighter Group Public Affairs

2/11/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF RICHARDSON, Alaska  -- The 477th Fighter Group graduated its first Senior Noncommissioned Officer Leadership Development class here Jan. 26.

Ten SNCO's from the Alaska Air Guard's 176th Wing and eight from the Air Force Reserve 477th Fighter Group attended this two day course. The class provided the senior noncommissioned officers the opportunity to explore in depth communication, trust, teamwork, and current Air Force Reserve leadership issues and initiatives.

"This course serves as a refresher for the NCO Academy as well as the SNCO Academy," said Tech. Sgt. Heidi Venable, 477th FG Education and Training NCOIC. "Because Reservists have the ability to do PME by correspondence it is nice for supervisors to have an opportunity for in person hands on training as well as a chance to interact with their peers experiencing similar leadership challenges."

This course uses lecture as well as discussion and experiential learning techniques to convey topic techniques followed with an analysis and feedback discussion. Attendees conducted a personalized assessment of their own leadership abilities and skills.

The 477th Fighter Group will be hosting a NCO Leadership Development Course in April, any Staff or Tech. Sgt. interested in attending the class can register by contacting the 477th Fighter Group Education and Training Office at 907-551-4750.

Being an effective leader includes taking care of four people

Commentary by Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Wieser
773d Civil Engineer Squadron

2/10/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska  -- I have read many articles on leadership throughout my 15 years in the Air Force and have adopted many great traits from all of them. One particular detail common to many of the articles is taking care of your people. I believe this is an extremely important principle, but would like to expand on the matter by focusing on four "people" and how to care for each.

Take care of your subordinates

In order to take care of your people, you must know your people. I believe this starts with getting to know your subordinates. Where they are from, how many siblings they have, what their favorite sports teams and music genres are, etc. Knowing your people shows you care and will help develop synergy in your section.

Take care of your peers

We preach this every day in our Air Force ¬¬- make sure you have a wingman. However, if you are a master sergeant and one of your fellow master sergeants is having issues with his or her section, do you offer to help or do you show how great your section is in comparison? We are all human beings and we all want to do well. Teamwork means we are all on the same team and need to take care of each other.

Take care of your leaders

I feel this is often overlooked. Our leaders take orders from higher authorities, just like us, and we need to have empathy to transform their vision. If you don't like their decisions, it is still your job to carry out their vision and move forward without undermining their authority or causing morale issues. Remember, leaders can have bad days too so don't be afraid to ask, "How is your day going? You look stressed. Is there anything I can do?"

Take care of yourself

This is by far the most important. By taking care of yourself physically, mentally, technically and spiritually, you can truly walk the walk. If you can take care of yourself, and practice what you preach, you will become a transformational leader who can continue to meet every challenge in the current fiscal environment and make our Air Force run like a well-oiled machine.

It is very difficult to take care of all four of these people groups 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You must find balance in life. Bottom line: If you have self-awareness, you can become a great leader by learning from the mistakes and successes of your subordinates, peers and leaders. Most importantly, as you have heard before, if you don't learn from your past, history is bound to repeat itself. To be an effective leader, you need to learn from your own mistakes. The next time you self-reflect, ask yourself how you are doing taking care of your people.

People + Pride = Performance: Insight from the CSAF

by Master Sgt. Todd Wivell
62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

2/6/2014 - JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- "I really believe if you are an Air Force and you recruit the best people in the country, which we do, and you train them better than anyone else and you put them with people who make them proud of what they do, how well they do it and what they represent, then you get a performance you can never get any other way," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. "The formula is simple, people plus pride equals performance."

The general and his wife, Betty, visited JBLM Jan. 31 to Feb. 4 to thank Airmen and their families for their service and address current Air Force challenges, and along the way had a chance to witness the people, pride and performance that make up Team McChord.

"It is really helpful for us to get out and see what you are all doing and how you are doing it. To talk to the Airmen and to get an idea of what concerns you have," Welsh said.

During their visit, they learned about everything from JBLM's joint basing structure and the collaboration with Ft. Lewis, the Total Force partnerships, the prime nuclear airlift force to the base's continuing effort to ensure a culture of dignity and respect.

The highlight of the day came when more than 1,800 Airmen, civilians and spouses came together in Hangar 3 to listen to Welsh share his thoughts and answer questions from the audience.

Welsh started his All Call off by thanking not only his wife for all her support throughout his career, but all family members who support the Air Force. And of course, he brought a huge message of appreciation for the members of Team McChord and the capability they provide in defense of the nation.

"We have talked to everybody that our Airmen serve around the world, every combatant commander, people in other countries, our allies and our coalition partners and let me tell you what they say about you," Welsh said. "They say that you guys rock; they love what you do and they love how well you do it, they want more of our mission and they want more of you. So I want to say 'thanks' for how well you represent our Air Force, our country, your own unit and each other because you really should be proud of how you do that job."

He went on to apologize to civilians for a rough 2013 -- for furloughs, for government shutdown - and thanked them for their dedication and hard work. He reminded those in attendance of the importance of civilian Airmen and recognized Danny Pope, a 62nd Airlift Wing maintenance squadron member, who's been at McChord for more than 40 years.

"Danny is a behind the scenes civilian who makes things work and for the last four decades he has been taking care of you and the base," Welsh said. "He is the fabric of our Air Force, he is the kind of guy you want to go to work with and someone I would consider the world's best teammate."

The general than went on to remind the audience the importance of every single Airman.

"I don't care how long you have been in, how many stripes you have or how many jobs you get, when you are a supervisor you need to tell other Airmen how important they are while at the same time remembering that you are the most important person in the Air Force and you deserve to be treated that way," he said. "Everybody in this room has a role to play in our Air Force, it is a critically important role and the sooner we remind ourselves that each of us is critically important, we will treat each other and better take care of each other."

The general went on to discuss how important it is for all of us to think about that because the bottom line for us is performance. He stated our job is to fight and win wars but we are smart enough to know if we don't take care of our people we won't get the performance required to do that.

Welsh went on to discuss what he considers the keys to success going forward - common sense, communication and caring.

"We have to realize that if our AFI's, policy letters and rules we are following do not align with common sense, then they are wrong. We have to change that and you can start right here," Welsh said.

The second key he discussed was "being better communicators."

He asked if anyone knew the reason why tuition assistance was cut-off last year and only one person out of the more than 1,800 raised their hand.

"We have to fix this as an Air Force and we have to get better at this," said Welsh. "Our people deserve answers and we are trying to share them but they are just not getting to you. If you can let me know what works, then I will let you know we will try it."

His final key to success for the Air Force future is caring, "we have to care more."

"I have already told you I am working with the best people on earth and you have the best families supporting you but even with that support we will never care about each other enough," Welsh said.

He went on to mention the many challenges facing the Air Force right now, from force management to sexual harassment.

"I believe the only solution to those things is not another Air Force program... it is caring more about each other," said Welsh. "It's understanding who the person next to you really is, what they think, how they feel, what affects them and how you can impact their life in a positive way."

"If you don't know the story of your Airmen, you can't lead them. It is really simple; learn their stories as the more we know about each other, the better we can take care of each other," he said. "The better we take care of each other, the less of all this other stuff we deal with and the more we focus on our job. That's who we are and that's the Air Force we want to be."

For more information on the general or Mrs. Welsh, check out the following resources:

Guard members from four states learn strategic planning

By Sgt. Edward Eagerton
Alaska National Guard

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (2/4/14) - As the adage goes, "you cannot teach an old dog new tricks," but that is exactly what the Army Communities of Excellence Strategic Execution Course is designed to do.
Last month, about 30 Guard members from Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho and Montana attended a five-day course to learn how to develop a strategic plan and communicate it to all levels of their organizations.

"They're training the next generation of leaders," said Maj. Chad Daniels, a performance assessment officer with the Business Transformation Office, National Guard Bureau. "It really is a culture change. With the fiscal environment being the way it is and money going away, we have to look at the way we're doing things; we have to look at how to do our processes more efficiently."

The senior and mid-level leaders who attended the Strategic Execution course used the case study of a private-sector company as an example of a failing business model. During the class, they were taught a set of tools to analyze that business model and develop a strategic plan to affect positive change for the company.

Through analyzing where an organization is, and figuring out where they want to go, the students were then challenged to prioritize what steps to take and how to communicate that plan to their organization.
One of the challenges in communicating this vision is that the National Guard is mostly made up of traditional Guard members who drill for one weekend a month and two weeks a year during their annual training.

Outside of drill weekends and annual training, Guard members typically pursue careers and education within the civilian sector. During National Guard training, their individual missions and training revolve around maintaining proficiency in their skill sets. So how would a traditional Guard Soldier or Airman understand the larger picture of an organization without the continuity of doing their service-related job every day?

"There needs to be involvement, and not just from the headquarters or senior leadership, but from throughout the entire organization," said Army Col. Jeff Ireland, the chief of staff for the Montana National Guard. "If we can get the employees excited and show them that what we're doing is going to help us help them, then there's going to be success."

Leadership and those tasked with redesigning the future are an often changing and evolutionary element of the military. By involving all levels of the organization in the strategic planning process, the collective vision of an organization gains a sense of continuity that could not exist without a solid communication in place to instill those core values.

"I can take this process of strategic planning and apply it to my foxhole right now," said Maj. Tim Brower, assistant professor of military science at the University of Anchorage Alaska Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program, Alaska Army National Guard. "By doing that, it's going to make the ROTC program better. It will be nested with the guidance that I receive from higher levels of command, and in turn, will be conveyed to the next generation of leaders."

People: Our legacy

by 2nd Lt. Meredith Hein
24th Air Force Public Affairs

1/31/2014 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- "Leadership is a gift. It is given by those who follow."

This statement, given by Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, then the U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander and now the Air Force Chief of Staff, to the cadets of the United States Air Force Academy in 2011, puts into words the philosophy Chief Master Sgt. Alfred Herring has been following throughout his 30 year career in the Air Force.

After nine ranks and 13 assignments, 24th Air Force's second command chief master sergeant is retiring. One thing has remained constant throughout his time in the Air Force, however, and that is the importance of people.

"People are our legacy," said Herring. "We need to invest in people. That's what has the biggest impact for me. If I was able to invest in one Airman and make a change for the better, then I feel like I've done my job."

With social media and email taking the place of day-to-day conversations, Herring says he made it point to go out to where Airmen worked and speak to them on a personal level every day.

"Whether you're a supervisor of five or a supervisor of one, find someone every day and have a conversation with them about anything that will help them be great or help them be great in the Air Force," said Herring. I challenge everyone to have face-to-face conversations. We need analog leadership in this digital world."

Though many individuals, supervisors and others, made an impression on Herring as an Airman, he cited two who impacted him as a leader.

"Sergeant Kathy Carlton taught me the basics about being an Airman," said Herring. "Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Sullens taught me how to be a chief--by example."

People, Herring noted, are also what made every one of his assignments great.

"People make a place, and when you leave, you don't miss an Air Force institution or a location. You miss the people. And that is why I never had a bad assignment in the Air Force," said Herring.

Enlisting in the Air Force in 1984, Herring has seen a lot of changes since his time as an airman basic at Lackland Air Force Base. He noted particularly that it is a much smaller Air Force than the one he entered, but that the quality of the Airmen serving has only increased.

"When I joined in 1984, there were probably 700,000 Active Duty Airmen alone. Now, there's 698,000 total force Airmen--Active Duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian. I've seen that a quality force doesn't always come in large numbers," said Herring. "We're continuing to do the same mission and more, and do things more creatively."

Herring noted the benefits of knowing everyone else's job and how it benefits the efficiency of the Air Force mission.

"If every Airman in a shop--officer, enlisted and civilian--knew every task and could do every job, I'd go back to that," he said. "There would be no single points of failure that way, because everyone would be able to help each other out and check each other."

Herring began his Air Force career as a "supply guy" in logistics, with a background in materiel management. He moved on to become a group superintendent and ultimately a command chief.

"My favorite job I've had has to be supply," said Herring. "But at the end of the day, the job that gave me the greatest satisfaction was the one that allowed me to influence and help people, and that was command chief."

The greatest benefits of being a chief, Herring said, stem from talking to people. "Every day, I get to talk to Airmen about their lives, challenges, frustrations and interests. Every day."

Each of these interactions, he says, has contributed to his long and oftentimes challenging journey, but Herring says he wouldn't change anything.

"Changing any of those assignments or experiences would change where I am now," Herring said. "I wouldn't change a thing about it."

Every assignment, job and rank, says Herring, has been a valuable experience and contributed to who he is today. The challenges of attaining senior noncommissioned officer ranks in particular have been rewarding experiences.

"Every rank has been a good rank. Thirty years ago, I was an airman basic with no stripes. Now, I'm a chief. I wouldn't trade any of those stripes. It's all been special," said Herring.

As an airman basic, Herring recalls the misery of the first day of Basic Military Training, waiting at the airport in San Antonio, riding the bus to Lackland Air Force Base and eating a meal of what he believed to be cold chicken in the early hours of the morning.

He contrasts this time with the final day of BMT, as he walked down the bomb run on graduation day.

"The sense of accomplishment and pride that you accomplished something greater than yourself--that was the best memory," he said.

Herring has carried this pride throughout his 30-year career, and hopes to pass on some simple advice to this next generation of Airmen: "There are no new lessons in leadership--only ones we've forgotten. The very basic one is know your job and do your job. The rest will take care of itself."

Face of Defense: Air Force School Hones Leadership Skills

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Levin Boland

97th Air Mobility Wing

ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., Jan. 31, 2014 – Every airman is a leader, whether they lead by example as a peer or in a formal duty position.

Leadership is taught to each airman from the time they enter the Air Force. As junior enlisted airmen begin moving into the noncommissioned officer ranks, they are expected to become more effective leaders.

This starts in Airman Leadership School where the mission is to “prepare senior airmen to be professional warfighting airmen who can supervise and lead Air Force work teams to support the employment of Air, Space and Cyberspace.”

The leadership school here shapes more than 100 active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard airmen into leaders every year from military installations across the country.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Ryan, 97th Force Support Squadron ALS instructor, has taught more than 25 classes so far.

“I have been an instructor for three and a half years and it’s honestly one of my favorite jobs in the Air Force,” Ryan said.”

During the five-week course, the students learn a variety of leadership skills such as counseling airmen, writing enlisted performance reports, marching troops and giving speeches.

“It has been a really good experience,” said Air Force Senior Airman Sushil Torres, who traveled from Vance Air Force Base, Okla., to attend the leadership school here.

“It’s really great to be able to talk to my classmates to get their perspectives on different things and experiences,” Torres added. “The pace has been pretty hectic, but because we work together and make sure we stay on top of each other to get things done, it has made it a lot easier.”

Torres and other students from class 14-B are scheduled to graduate on Feb. 7, 2014.

“You learn all this information but it’s not enough to just know it anymore, you have to know how to apply it to different situations and there are always variables to consider as a supervisor when you are dealing with your airmen,” Torres said.

Mission Spotlight: ALS instructors pay it forward

by Senior Airman Briana Jones
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

1/29/2014 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- Airmen Leadership School, NCO Academy and Senior NCO Academy are all designed to better prepare Airmen to lead, teach and inspire Airmen of their own.

It all starts with ALS - a five-week class that tests the minds of future supervisors and arms them with the tools needed to succeed as a leader.

Approximately 40 students spend 24 academic days and 192 academic hours marching, studying, testing and learning, all in an effort to better themselves mentally and emotionally so one day they can be what the Air Force needs: great supervisors.

At Aviano, five ALS instructors, along with the commandant, dedicate their time and energy into teaching these Airmen and encouraging them to be future Air Force leaders. When the academic day is done, instructors continue to devote their time going over lesson plans, grading homework, scheduling physical training sessions and helping Airmen understand the lesson material.

"I couldn't be more honored to be in the position to be the one to help my students make the transition from Airmen to NCO," said Staff Sgt. Amanda Arndt, 31st Force Support Squadron ALS instructor. "I am not teaching my students how to be supervisors, but how to be leaders and how to communicate effectively - not only to each other, but their own leadership and future troops."

ALS provides foundational leadership and interpersonal skills, and focuses a majority of the instruction on Air Force rules and regulations.

As the top senior enlisted leader of ALS, the commandant directs the overall and day-to-day operations of the school in accordance with The Barnes Center for Enlisted Education. The commandant not only serves to guide students, but the teachers as well, helping everyone establish and achieve a pattern of success.

"The best part of my job is knowing that I have the best instructors I could ask for, they make my job easier," said Master Sgt. Jose Negron, 31st Force Support Squadron ALS commandant. "Watching the transformation that occurs in these students from the very first day to the very last is the best part for me, just knowing that they are ready to become supervisors."

At the end of the course students have to take a variety of tests including a formative test, a summative evaluation on march and drill to determine their eligibility to graduate. A variety of awards such as the John Levitow Award, Commandant Leadership Award, Distinguished Graduate and Academic Achievement rewards students for their hard work and determination.

During ALS Airmen are students, but the day they graduate they are another step closer to being leaders, supervisors, innovators and above all else - NCOs.

"The one thing that will stay with me throughout my military career will be the basic principles of leadership, that's the one thing that will never change," said Senior Airman Daniel Moore, 31st Security Forces Squadron security response member and ALS student.
"ALS is not just a class about leadership, it also teaches us more about how people communicate and that is the key to being in a leadership role and I for one am grateful for the chance to learn how to do that."

3rd AF top enlisted leader identifies key leadership characteristics

by Airman 1st Class Ryan Conroy
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

1/29/2014 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy  -- Chief Master Sgt. Mark Marson, 3rd Air Force Command Chief, spoke with enlisted Airmen, stressing key leadership characteristics during his visit here, Jan. 24-25.

Marson visited with Aviano Airmen, applauding their efforts during financially troubling times and providing guidance on management through personal recollections.

Throughout the day, the 3rd AF top enlisted member met with Aviano NCOs and Senior NCOs, an Airman Leadership School class and spoke during a chief recognition ceremony.

Marson preached a common theme to each group of Airmen, which associated the Air Force way of life to common sports euphemisms.

"We're like a baseball team," said Marson. "Right now, everyone is on the team, we're all professionals. But, some players get paid more and some are used more often than others. Not everyone can be the pitcher, but it's vital everyone works together to be successful. Who's willing to work hard enough to stay and become a franchise player? Everyone needs to get in their lane and figure out what position they play so we can remain the world's greatest Air Force."

To stay on the team during present times of force management, Marson introduced several significant characteristics found in every leader. These qualities included exceptional fitness, strategic communication, resiliency, critical thinking and mentorship.

"You have to be that standout, charismatic, standup Airman with a ready-to-serve attitude, not ready to be served," Marson added.

Marson suggested that most problems within the ranks could be solved with an intrusive leadership ideology.

"You can solve 75 percent of problems--suicide, sexual assault, financial instability --with great leadership," said Marson. "We need bold leaders who lead from ahead, be invasive and talk to your Airmen consistently."

In regards to fitness, Marson stressed a combat-readiness mentality for supervisors, to further take care of wingmen in the height of conflict.

"If one of you are injured and need someone to carry you out of harm's way, I will be there for you," said Marson. "I expect you to be there for me as well, to have the physical capability to get me out of danger."

The command chief, in turn, emphasized that Airmen who lack in certain core areas should be working on their weaknesses. When addressing the group future NCO attending ALS, Marson quoted former Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, Sam Parish.

"Always reserve the right to return another day," said Marson. "Envision your personal standards as railroad ties and one tie is physical fitness, one is education, one is work ethic, etcetera. Your discipline is the rail. You have to ensure those rails stay straight for your Airmen.

"If you struggle on one of your standards, or feel like one is less important than the other, now is the time to change that, before it's too late," added Marson. "You need to respect the fact that Airmen emulate their supervision, be a model of your values."

Face of Defense: Marine Masters Quiet Leadership

By Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Danielle Dixon

Black Sea Rotational Force

MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, Romania, Jan. 14, 2014 – In a profession dominated by boisterous personalities, command presence and aggressive confidence, it’s hard to imagine a quiet and patient leader.

In a fast-paced and chaotic training environment, credit is not always given to the Marine who forms the ranks, defines the standard and presses forward with excellence and no complaint.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Glenn Schroeder, a rifleman with Black Sea Rotational Force 14, has been in the Marine Corps for less than two years. Those around him say that while his experiences have been limited, they already have shaped who he is as a both leader and a peer, instilling humble and introspective leadership traits that are hard to teach.

Marine Corps Sgt. Nicholas Zablonski, Schroeder’s squad leader, has been alongside Schroeder for the entirety of the deployment.

“His leadership styles are still developing into his own, but I would say knowing himself and always seeking self-improvement is a leadership style I have seen him develop more throughout this deployment than his peers,” the sergeant said.

Schroeder’s platoon leaders agree. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. David Dahl, first platoon commander, and Marine Corps Sgt. Donnell Watkins, Schroeder’s platoon sergeant, spoke about Schroeder’s self-discipline and his potential as a future leader.

“He doesn’t say much, but he is one of the hardest workers I have,” Dahl said. “He devotes his liberty time to physical training, which surpasses unit training in difficulty.”

Watkins cited Schroeder’s motivation, dependability and work ethic as a teammate within his fire team as examples of how he outperforms his peers and junior Marines. “He shows an extraordinary ability to be flexible working out of his military occupational specialty,” he said. “He demonstrates a strong desire to develop himself throughout this deployment.”

Watkins added that Schroeder usually is the first to volunteer for any tasks and never complains.

Schroeder said he simply tries to look at everything with a positive approach. “I try and look at things if I was a sergeant or a corporal,” he said. “Attention to detail is a big thing. It may seem insignificant, but normally there is a bigger picture that we don’t always see on [the junior Marine] level.”

‘No Room for Error,’ Hagel Tells Troops

By Claudette Roulo

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2014 – The nation depends on the professionalism of service members like the airmen of the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today on a visit to the base.

“We have all the great technology in the world -- and we have better technology than anyone -- and we are the strongest country on Earth ... but it takes people, it takes leadership, it takes commitment,” Hagel told the airmen.

Through investments in modernization and by focusing on reducing the nuclear stockpile under the START II treaty, the United States is demonstrating its commitment to maintaining a capable and safe nuclear deterrent, he said.

“It's clearly in our national security interests,” Hagel said.

“And as I had an opportunity to view some of this today to get down really where the operational dynamics are real, and not just theory or in PowerPoint presentations, but it's clear that we've got some work to do on modernization,” the defense secretary said.

Hagel told the airmen that the American people have great confidence in their ability to perform under extraordinary conditions.

“You've also chosen a profession where there's no room for error. In what you do every day, there is no room for error, none,” he said.

Under such conditions, Hagel said, it’s important to constantly hone and develop personal, professional and institutional skills. Because even though the nation doesn’t go to war every day, the defense secretary said, “every day we help prevent war. That’s what we are about. And we do that better than anyone else.”

“How you do the job is really as important as the job itself, because it sets a standard of expectation for yourselves and for everybody around you,” Hagel said. “You're all leaders. You're all role models. And that's a heavy burden to carry.”

The defense secretary was on the final stop of a two-day trip to bases in Wyoming, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas.

First Sergeants are here to help

by Airman 1st Class Alexander Guerrero
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

1/3/2014 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Some Airmen need help or direction that is beyond what their immediate supervisor can provide. When a situation like this arises, there is one person in particular an Airman can go to.

The first sergeant, also referred to as "first shirt", wears a diamond in the middle of their rank for a reason.

"Typically, shirts are pretty experienced and tend to be pretty solid senior NCOs with a lot of experience," said Master Sgt. Brandy Wess, 7th Operations Group first sergeant. "Our job is the health, morale and welfare of our people, so anytime someone is having a problem and their first line supervisor doesn't know how to help, the first sergeant will."

First sergeants can assist Airmen in a number of ways. They usually have many resources available to them acquired through their years of networking as well as sound advice built up during their life and career. These can be the biggest assets to an Airman needing assistance.

"First sergeants can spend the whole day talking with people, building rapport with different agencies getting to know who point of contacts and subject matter experts are so that when an Airman comes to us with an issue, we know exactly who can help them, so then we can refer them appropriately," Wess said.

As Airmen and wingmen, we should all be looking out for and helping one another, but first sergeants specialize in this. There are certain character traits that separate first shirts from other senior NCOs.

"You have to be very organized because the part of our job that a lot of people don't see is the administrative side," Wess said. "On top of that, you still have to be passionate and empathetic when someone comes to you with an issue. Sometimes even if I think its minor, to that person it's not. To that person it's the biggest thing bugging them and distracting them from completing the mission."

Airmen aren't the only ones who benefit from a first sergeant's guidance. Even spouses can go to the shirts should they have an issue that needs addressing.

"In my unit, spouses get an equal amount of help as our Airmen, and if a spouse has a problem, I'm going to do everything I can to help," Wess said. "One way we do that is to stay engaged with our Key Spouse Program. Whenever my squadrons have key spouse programs, I like to attend and mingle with the spouses. It's important that I get to know them so that they know I'm there to help."

When asked, many shirts will say their job is their people. Between Airmen and their spouses, first sergeants are the cornerstones of a unit, providing relief for any problems that are presented to them. This help is for anybody, not just those assigned to their particular unit. A first sergeant's advice is available to anyone looking for it.

"My personal motto is, 'I'm everyone's first sergeant,'" Wess said. "If I come across an Airman having a hard time, I don't care where that Airman works, if they are in my unit or what rank they are wearing, I'm going to stop and ask if they are okay. I don't mind asking the hard personal questions that may dig into their business a little bit because if it helps them out, then it's worth it."