Leadership not defined by shapes, sizes

Commentary by Col. Jerry Wizda
39th Medical Group commander

4/26/2013 - INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (AFNS) -- Short in stature at 5 feet 4 inches, not particularly handsome, a bookworm and not exactly the life of the party, James Madison does not fit some perceptions of a leader.

In today's world, he probably would have been perceived as a nerd. But, his brilliant mind and leadership skills now have historians re-embracing Madison's presidency and his leadership.

President Madison is best known as "The Father of the Constitution." He was a delegate, unequaled in his writing abilities, who kept written documentation at every secret Constitutional Convention's meeting. Later, his Virginia Plan became the basis for our Constitution. What most people do not remember is President Madison's equally successful presidency, when he led an infant nation against the greatest naval power in the world and won. The War of 1812 remains "The Forgotten War." Many do not realize it was through President Madison's leadership the U.S. escaped becoming, once again, subjects of Great Britain.

So what personal attributes made this man an unlikely leader, and what can you take from the story of President Madison and apply to today's world to make you a leader?

First, always believe in yourself and never doubt your abilities. This is probably the hardest perception to embrace. Each day when President Madison went to the Constitutional Convention meetings, he stood up and rallied for a democratic government with election of congressmen directly by the people. He wrote the Federalist Papers with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton; documents considered to be the best interpretation of American government, even in present times. He truly embraced his ideals, and this spurred him to speak and write what was in his heart. His conviction to his ideals gave us the great nation we have today. At work, strive to be the best you can be. Work from your heart. If you give already 100 percent, strive to give 110 percent.

Secondly, stay true to yourself and stand by your convictions. After President Madison asked Congress to declare war on Great Britain June 1, 1812, riots began because of the decision. Talk of succession in New England ran rampant. But, President Madison stayed true to his belief in freedom for America. And, despite opposition to the war, he stood his ground. He said, "If we lose, we lose independence." People will perceive you as a leader if you stick to your beliefs and do not go back and forth on your ideals. Even those who do not agree with you will respect you for your steadfast loyalty and convictions.

Lastly, know when to stay and know when to run. Even the best leaders must give up the fight at some point for the sake of their people. On August 24, 1814, President Madison and Congress fled Washington on horseback as the British advanced on the city. While it may have been perceived as cowardly to run, fleeing the city was the only choice President Madison had.

If he had a chosen to stay and ordered Congress to stay, they would have been captured or killed. Merely three days after fleeing, President Madison returned to Washington, rallied the citizens, and connected with the people like he never had before. President Madison rallied Congress and met in a post office, the only building left standing. He began the work of the government from scratch and turned the tide of war. Think carefully about your decisions and of the consequences down the road. Is the fight worth it?

Not all of us will become president, but each in our own way, can be a successful leader. Every day we make decisions that affect our families, the Air Force and its Airmen, and our country. Many of these decisions are simple, and many can be life-altering. If we embrace the lessons of our forefathers, we are sure to become successful Airmen and leaders in our own right.

Kadena resiliency program adapts, grows

by Staff Sgt. Rachelle Coleman
18th Wing Public Affairs

4/22/2013 - KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- One year ago, base helping agencies joined forces to create a web-based resiliency school to promote and increase education.

The program, called Kadena Leadership Pathways, is open to all military members, active duty, guard and reservist, as well as Department of Defense civilians and dependents. It is based on the four pillars of fitness -- mental, social, physical and spiritual -- and encourages taking a proactive approach to comphrehensive mental fitness.

Information on the needs of the community was collected with a community assessment survey through the integrated delivery system and community action and information board. The IDS is a program which links all helping agencies on base including the chapels, mental health, health and wellness center, and Airman and family readiness center. The CAIB is a board of agencies which communicates the needs of the base populace with commanders.

According to Chaplain (Maj.) Randy Sellers, IDS chairperson, the purpose is to provide classes from the helping agencies on base, to help fortify Airmen in resiliency and leadership and to provide a single forum to show what all of the agencies offer.

"That's what we do -- we look out there, put our feelers out there and we hear what the base is saying," Sellers said. "The IDS collects that information and then we [identify] this as a trend, more than one person has said this, and we develop a course."

Throughout its first year, the resiliency program continued to adapt to the needs of the base. One of the classes developed through the identification process was Bi-cultural Marriages, which started earlier this month.

In its first year, approximately 1,600 military members and dependents have participated in the program.

Airman 1st Class Jessica Schmidt, 18th Medical Operations Squadron aerospace medical technician, started using the program in December and has earned 18 points so far. The points, which are earned for every class taken, can be used for different incentives. Classes, because they are intended to help educate, can also be used on performance reports and awards packages for self improvement achievements.

"When I first started I was looking for something to do because I have my college degree already and I didn't want to take college classes again," Schmidt said. "Some of the classes seemed interesting and the more I took of them, the more I got involved."

"For me it turned out to be a lot more that just getting bullets," she added.

Schmidt, has taken classes from How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk/Jerkette -- her favorite class -- to Surviving Adolescence and Adulthood, although she's a single Airman with no dependents.

Class subjects include finance, nutrition, relationships and parenting.

Though the incentives may be the driving force for some taking the classes, the real benefit comes from the lessons learned.

According to Schmidt, one class named for parents with teenagers actually helped the 28-year-old to communicate with some of her younger coworkers.

An incentive program is available for active-duty military members. The point system is as follows; classes two hours or less are worth one point, classes four hours or less are with two points, and classes six hours or less are worth three points.

These points can be accumulated for the following recognition program incentives:

1 Star or Squadron-level recognition (8 points): Parking spot, recognition at commander's call and certificate

2 Star or Group-level recognition (15 points): Half day off (AD) and certificate

3 Star or Wing-level recogntition (20 points): One day off, picture in the base paper, recognition at Kadena Team Staff Meeting, and certificate

College honors Niagara reservist for leadership

by Master Sgt. Kevin Nichols
914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

4/19/2013 - NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. -- Lt. Col. Patrick Peretta, 914th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, received the Daemen College Community Leadership Award April 6, 2013 for his outstanding work with veterans at the Amherst, N.Y. college.

Peretta received the award from Dr. Michael S. Brogan, Daemen Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Recognized for his work in helping veterans entering college and working with the Veterans Administration, Peretta also helps his fellow servicemembers returning from overseas receive their benefits and readjusting to being back home.

In addition to his work helping veterans, Peretta also helps the Boy Scouts and local medical students get CPR certified.

Satellite Airman Leadership School gets well positioned

by Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
I.G. Brown Training and Education Center

4/19/2013 - MCGHEE TYSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Tenn. -- When the message went out months ago that Airman Leadership School might be offered in blended learning again through a satellite program there was a colossal, "Please do this!!" response to Master Sgt. Kirk Hayes and his Paul H. Lankford Enlisted Professional Military Education Center teammates.

The I.G. Brown Training and Education Center here strives to make training convenient and cost effective for the Air Force. The huge response from the field meant they uncovered a huge need, now they had to dust off a once shelved program and begin anew.

"Interest far surpassed what we thought it was going to be," said Hayes, superintendent of the Satellite EPME program.

The TEC is the Air National Guard's primary force development center. Its 85 Total Force staff members teach an average 18 EPME courses and host more than 40 professional continuing education courses each year.

The Center's satellite business has been robust in recent years as National Guard members, especially, work or attend college on the weekdays and have little time to travel. The TEC has done well with its satellite Noncommissioned Officer Academy.

That course, which teaches advanced leadership to technical sergeants hoping to make senior ranks is a weeknight broadcast. It's currently delivering the blended learning course to 115 Airmen at 11 installations across the country.

Many more are noticing the Center's success as the only Air Force blended learning EMPE available.

"Working in conjunction with the National Guard Bureau, we decided to try providing a satellite Airman Leadership Course for this spring to see how popular it was and see how it works for the future," said Hayes.

The course will be taught for eight hours, Saturdays and Sundays, for five weekends, followed by a two-and-a-half week in-resident session here.

The curriculum of the satellite is no different than the in-resident, Hayes said.

The instructors are confident they can get beyond the "dust off" phase of a satellite product shelved in 2008, but it's too early to say how effective they will be. They plan to monitor test scores to ensure it meets all Air Force standards.

"The students won't notice it because of all the hard work to ensure they get the same product as a physical classroom," said Tech. Sgt. Jenny Sanchez, EPME instructor and NCOIC of the ALS Satellite program.

Sanchez and Tech. Sgt. Caleb Rose are serving as on-camera instructors for this course. The center has about a half dozen instructors like them who can teach all genres of NCOA and ALS, classroom and satellite.

"Sergeant Rose and I are fortunate to be the faces associated with the satellite program because we are the on-camera instructors, but as a whole, a greater TEC team is behind the vision of getting this out to the Airmen who need it," said Sanchez.

And although the course once stopped, technology progressed. That's where the TEC's niche of having a high-definition television studio and broadcast network makes the broadcast feasible but not as easy as warming up an overhead projector.

"We heard stories that it was done via satellite, but we are starting everything from scratch here," said Master Sgt. John Anderson, who manages a six-person team of broadcast technicians at the TEC's Media Engagement Division.

The broadcast team and engineers pulled together to attack the challenge. They started cross training and are designing new graphics and show introductions. They also plan to share the weekend duty with the mindset of gaining expertise as technical directors, so the course will go on without a hitch.

"From seeing the success of how satellite NCOA works, I have a good feeling about it," said Anderson.

The first broadcast is scheduled, live starting May 4 from the studio, which is in its 18th year of providing blended learning NCOA via its "Warrior Network" satellite broadcast system.

"If we are as successful with satellite ALS as we are with satellite NCOA, it's because of many working here to make that huge impact on the Air Force," said Sanchez.

"I think she said it best," Rose added. "The satellite team is going to give the best that we can, that being, we keep students enthralled, entertained and educated throughout the weeks of broadcast. Then we will meet them here to finish the in-resident part of course and seal that impact on their leadership that it should."

A Layman Considers Wisdom

The May 30, 2013, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with United States Air Force veteran Marshall Lenne the author of A Layman Considers Wisdom.

Program Date: May 30, 2013

Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC

Topic: A Layman Considers Wisdom

Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/05/30/a-layman-considers-wisdom

About the Guest

Marshall Lenne is a “retired human resources professional. Educated in parochial schools, he received a congressional appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. Upon receipt of his degree and commission, he married his wife, Victoria, and entered pilot training. Rated as USAF instructor pilot, he was intimately involved in motivating and training pilots to make wise decisions under stress. After completing his USAF service, Marshall spent thirty-five years in human resources, observing, analyzing, and affecting human behavior.”  Marshall Lenne is the author of A Layman Considers Wisdom.

According to the book description of A Layman Considers Wisdom, “The world is full of smart decisions. Yet, there are wars; genocide and ethnic cleansing; people suffering from disease and hunger; human beings considered less than human because of their race, color of their skin, or their sex. The world needs men and women making and acting on wise decisions. In order to do that, they must seek and acquire wisdom. In A Layman Considers Wisdom, Marshall Lenne sows, cultivates, and leaves for your harvesting life-sustaining wisdom. His considerations probe the motivation driving decisions and the resulting worldly and spiritual consequences. Discover who really determines if a decision or action is wise or foolish, good or evil. Discover how you can make wise decisions and act wisely, even in the face of adversity. Discover who Wisdom is!”

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:

Listen from the Archive:

http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/layman_considers_wisdom.html

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

Facebook Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/571540746211782

Beale command post fosters culture of excellence

by Capt. Joe Simms
940th Wing Public Affairs

4/18/2013 - BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., -- Life as a command post controller is not a glamorous one.

Every day controllers descend down three flights of stairs, pass through four secure doors, each requiring key cards and authentication codes, where they will spend the majority of the next 12 hours of their shift.

It's easy to be overlooked but the command post at Beale Air Force Base Calif., is making a name for itself thanks to Command Post Superintendent, Senior Master Sgt. Semaj McGhee.

McGhee, an Air Reserve Technician with the 940th Wing here was recently named the Air Force Reserve Command Post Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for the second time in three years.

"McGhee's job knowledge and depth of experience sets him apart," said Lt Col Eric Hanson, 940th Wing Command Post officer in charge. "He was in the command post when we were a tanker unit and the experience of working with different airframes and multiple missions has been invaluable."

McGhee manages a staff of 16 to 22 full time controllers responsible for processing operational reports and Emergency Action Messages while monitoring every inbound and outbound aircraft at Beale AFB. The command post is also responsible for providing commanders oversight over two wings, 11 tenant units and up to four Geographically Separated units.

"The work is hard and we push our people hard," McGhee said. "It takes a lot of time and effort to learn the processes and stay qualified to support all of our tenants and major commands."

The command post accomplishes this around the clock mission by employing a joint active duty and reserve crew.

"We have three fulltime ARTs and 14 active duty airmen assigned to the command post with the reservists providing extensive experience and continuity," McGhee said. "It's a different dynamic than most command posts but it works well with the Total Force Integration culture here."

It works so well that during a 2011 Air Combat Command Unit Compliance Inspection the Inspector General recommended the Beale Command Post as an example for other command posts in the Air Force and recognized it as one of the busiest they had ever seen.

McGhee and the two other ARTs have more than 40 years of command post experience between them. With this experience comes the responsibility to train the active duty Airmen, most of which are junior enlisted members and only stay for a few years before they move to their next duty station.

"The command post serves as the eyes and ears of the commander and a high level of responsibility is forced upon young Airmen," said Hanson. "McGhee must make sure these Airmen are comfortable interacting with commanders and perform at a high level."
"It's a high visibility job and if you make a mistake it won't take long before everyone will know," he continued.

One way McGhee gets the most out of the Airmen is by encouraging them to strive for personal and team awards.

"Since we have different command structures and administrative assignments I use these awards as motivation for our people," said McGhee. "Since I've been here we've received 17 individual and team awards and 4 MAJCOM level awards."

In 2010, McGhee's first year with the Beale Command Post here, he won the AFRC Command Post Senior NCO of the Year and one year later, in 2011, the office won the AFRC Large Command Post of the Year.

"These awards mean a lot to me," McGhee said. "I feel like it lets everyone know when you get a controller from Beale you're getting a top-notch Airman."

Lorenz on Leadership: A chance encounter

Commentary by Retired Gen. Steve Lorenz
U.S. Air Force Academy Endowment President

4/16/2013 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) -- As a leader, you must always be observant of what is going on around you. Literally you need to observe, listen and sense in a 360 degree circle in real time. To truly be effective, you need to have your radar up and running at all times because you never know when you can make a difference.

Recently, I was walking to my car after a meeting with the Air Force Academy Director of Athletics and I chanced upon a cadet walking back to the cadet area. She seemed deep in thought and very preoccupied. I turned and asked her how she was doing. I could tell she was thinking, "who is this stranger and I don't have time to talk to him."

I persisted and once again asked how she was doing.

She said "fine", but I could tell something was wrong. I introduced myself and reminded her that I had talked about leadership with her cadet class about six months before. She seemed to remember and then finally told me about her recent academic and discipline challenges. I listened carefully, paused and related to her some similar challenges I faced 40 years before when I was cadet. We talked about the struggles of having to study harder to make better grades, and that when you break the rules you must be a leader and accept the consequences of your bad decisions. I asked her what her personal goals were and she said she wanted to graduate from the Academy and be commissioned an officer in the Air Force.

I remember all those many years ago when I was restricted to my room studying and serving confinements. I would get depressed and start feeling sorry for myself. To keep my motivation up, I would look at a picture of my class ring and remind myself why I was at the Academy. It helped me on my darkest days. This cadet was still a year away from ordering her ring, so I gave her my tie tack which had the Air Force symbol on it. I told her that she must never give up on her goal and that when she was down in the months to come, she should hold that small Air Force symbol in her hand and let it remind her why she was at the Academy. She took it, said thank you and said she had to get back to class. As she walked away, I realized that I never even got her name. I told my wife about this encounter and put this chance meeting out of my mind.

However, much to my surprise, two days later I received an e-mail from the cadet's father. In part it said:

"Hello Mr. Lorenz, I have not had the honor of meeting you, but...my daughter, though, has had the opportunity. You see, my daughter was the cadet you came across two days ago outside Clune Arena. Although you may believe it was a chance encounter, she believes it was something quite different. Her exact words to her mother and I was that running into you was "a sign." What you told her and said to her had a huge impact on her, one that she will never forget. You helped her to reaffirm her commitment to the Academy and why she went there. After a hard day with some difficult conversations and the normal struggles that most cadets face, she was starting to question whether she belonged at the Academy. Suddenly, you appeared, and were kind and compassionate enough to realize she was in need of a sympathetic person who could relate to her. Your conversation impacted her greatly, and she left your encounter more determined and intent on graduating because she received (your message) when she needed it most. Her mother and I live close to 650 miles away. We couldn't be there for her at that moment, but we want to thank you for taking the time to stop and help someone in need. Taking time and having the patience to listen, be understanding, sympathetic, and impacting a stranger's life forever. This is not an exaggeration, but a fact we feel strongly about. There was a reason you were there to help her and, for that, we will always be thankful to you. We just wanted you to know the influence you had on our daughter and that you made a difference in her life that day... Thank you again!"

Let me emphasize that this story is not about me. I was just there and asked the cadet how she was doing. It is about observing those around you and making a difference when you least expect it. If you are observant, even chance encounters provide an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. So, the next time you are out among people, even if you are just walking down the street, take the time to notice each one as an individual. You may have the chance to make a huge difference.

General Walter: Earning Her Stripes...And a Star

by TSgt Sara Robinson
132nd Fighter Wing

4/7/2013 - Des Moines, Iowa -- Brigadier Geneneral Jennifer Walter, Chief of Staff, Iowa Air National Guard, enlisted in the Air National Guard in early 1975. At that time, The Vietnam War was ending, the Women's Liberation movement was in full swing, the cost of gas was 44 cents a gallon and women had fewer career choices. Walter has seen her share of changes over the last 37 years, including a new mentality for women in the military.

"A lot of things led me down this path. I was working at the Iowa Beef Processors in South Sioux City, Nebraska as a switchboard operator. These airplanes would fly over and make all kinds of racket. It was the 185th Tactical Fighter Wing in Sioux City (Iowa Air National Guard) and they were flying F-100's back then," she said.

"The world was a different place back then. In my 18-year old mind you could be a nurse, a teacher or a secretary. There was nothing else. My parents were very supportive of me joining the military even though the perception of women who joined was poor. It was thought that girls that joined were troublemakers or other stereotypes," she explained.

But that didn't stop Walter. She was a wide-eyed young woman with a sense of adventure and she was ready to see the world. Little did she know at that time that the sky was the limit for her as a female service member. She decided that she wanted to be an Air Traffic Controller in the Kansas Air National Guard.

"The job sounded exciting. I never anticipated being in for longer than six years. I just wanted to try it and see. At the time, the opportunities that the military had for women, compared to the civilian sector, were hands down better, I mean pretty much anything I wanted to do, I could do it," said Walter.

Walter's 'try it and see' six-year enlistment evolved into a career that spans nearly four decades. She came to Iowa in 1975 and was offered a temporary, full-time position as an air operations specialist with the 132nd Tactical Fighter Wing, Iowa Air National Guard. She also served in Operations, Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Program Mobility, Logistics Plans, Logistics Readiness Squadron, HRO, Mission Support Group and Maintenance.

"I had a great career. I actually worked in every maintenance branch except munitions," she said.

During her career, she earned the honor of being the first female to hold several leadership positions in the 132nd FW: she was the first female, non-rated colonel; first female group commander; and first female squadron commander. Her most recent accomplishment was to earn the rank of brigadier general, making her the first female general officer in Iowa Air National Guard history.

"I always felt I had to work harder than everyone else and that paid off. Just doing as good as my peers wasn't enough. I'm going to continue to work twice as hard to do the role of general proud," she says.

Walter is nothing if not humble. Her story is one of adventure, personal trials, and diversity. She gives much of the credit to those who helped her exceed her goals.

"Almost every supervisor and commander I had in my career has been really great. I still can't even believe it. Thirty-seven years ago, I got in with zero college at 18 years old with no stripes on my sleeve. Now, I'm sitting here today as a general officer. I got my college degree, have tons of wonderful memories and experiences, life lessons, the whole nine yards. I literally grew up in the military. I would have never dreamed of achieving [general officer] when I was an Airman Basic. So the basically the sky was the limit for me," she said.

Intervene to save lives

by Airman 1st Class Kaleb Snay
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

3/31/2013 - MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan  -- Whether it's hazing, depression or the death of a loved one, these factors can lead even the strongest of warriors into the perilous pit of bad decisions.

Contemplating things that could ruin their life and may eventually lead to them taking a path they never thought they would take.

Perhaps the emotions overcame them and became too much to handle by themselves, but whatever the problem may be, sometimes the only thing that's keeping someone from taking the final step into darkness is you.

"Most Airmen who commit suicide don't want to die," said Tech. Sgt. Allen Walton, 35th Medical Operations Squadron Mental Health technician. "They just want to stop hurting."
There are many stressors that can lead a person into a crisis and make them think that suicide is their only way out. A suicidal person may not ask for help upfront, but that doesn't mean that help isn't wanted.

Knowing what to watch for can be difficult unless the signs become obvious, but knowing when to intervene can be the difference between life and death.

"The pain that they're going through is huge, not just something petty," said Capt. Michael Carollo, 35th Fighter Wing chaplain. "Their whole world seems like it's crashing down and getting that person to see that there is hope and life is worth living can be very challenging as a caregiver."

As someone trying to provide assistance to a friend, wingman, co-worker or family member, knowing what that person has been through can be essential to knowing if they are at risk.

"Everyone is potentially at risk," said Carollo. "We want to help people before things get so bad that they go through with the suicide. Sometimes people suddenly stop caring about things they used to love, or hygiene goes down. If you see somebody is upset, go talk to them. How they respond may give you more reason to believe they might be contemplating suicide."

The loss of an Air Force member can be devastating, said Walton. It directly affects families and units involved and can indirectly affect general morale on base. One suicide is too many, which is why suicide prevention is the key.

"Suicide prevention starts with recognizing the warning signs and taking them seriously," said Walton. "If you think a friend or family member is considering suicide, you might be afraid to bring up the subject. But talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life."

A majority of Airmen that committed or attempted suicide were not known to have communicated with others about their intentions of harming themselves, said Walton. That's why communication is very important.

There are many avenues that the Air Force offers to make it easy for anyone contemplating suicide to get the help they need. Stress Management classes like 'Sleep Better', which teaches skills to obtain a better night's rest, are offered on a regular basis. Chaplains and Mental Health technicians are always available to speak with as well.

Sometimes people just want a helping hand from someone they are comfortable with, said Carollo. They want someone there to talk to about work or any other issue they may be having that's causing them to want to hurt themselves.

"Suicide is seen as a taboo subject but you need to know how to approach someone to talk about it," said Carollo.

Anyone willing to help can take the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, which teaches the skills and builds confidence to be able to step into that situation, said Carollo. Learning these skills could help you save a life.

"When all is said and done the most important thing to note is to know that life is worth living, and we shouldn't let anyone go down the wrong path," said Carollo.

Selfridge Airmen Honored For Combat Leadership

by TSgt. Dan Heaton
127th Wing Public Affairs

4/2/2013 - SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. - -- A decade ago, he was a newly-minted master sergeant, wondering if he had what it takes to truly be a leader. Today, one of the classrooms where the Air Force teaches Airmen about leadership is named in his honor.

"It was the first real test of my leadership skills," Master Sgt. Charlie Peterson says of the battles he survived in Iraq in 2004. "I didn't really know until that day if I would be able to put all the pieces together."

In 2004, Peterson was deployed to Iraq, leading a team of Air Force truck drivers who were assigned to convoy duty to support the U.S. Army. Twice he survived direct, intense attacks on his convoy. In recognition of the leadership skills he employed while under attack, one of the classrooms at the Noncommissioned Officers Academy at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., has been named in his honor.

Peterson, a traffic management specialist with the 127th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, was one of the first six Airmen in the Air Force - and the very first one in either the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve - to earn the Combat Action Medal as a result of his 2004 duties in Iraq.

In late 2003, Peterson was a member of the 927th Air Refueling Wing of the Air Force Reserve, which was then stationed at Selfridge. He was mobilized along with several other Selfridge Airmen to form the 1058th Air Expeditionary Force Truck Company in Iraq. At the time, convoy duty was one of the most dangerous duties in Iraq. To prepare for the mission, Peterson and his fellow Airmen underwent combat training with the Army both in the U.S. and in Kuwait. While in Kuwait, just days before entering Iraq in early 2004, Peterson was promoted to master sergeant and was made a platoon leader within the company.

On July 28, 2004, Peterson was riding in the command truck in a 20-truck convoy when the convoy was hit by a roadside improvised explosive device, or IED. The truck in front of him was destroyed in the blast and Peterson suffered shrapnel wounds to the face and forearm, saved from additional injury by his body armor. Following the blast, in which a civilian contractor was killed, Peterson took charge of the scene, established a defensive perimeter and eventually directed the resumption of the convoy on its mission. Upon reaching a safe zone, Peterson was medically evacuated by helicopter to allow his wounds to be treated.

Just over a week later, on Aug. 5, 2004, Peterson was riding in a convoy of approximately 50 vehicles en route to Mosul, Iraq, that was ambushed with IEDs and a concentrated attack by enemy forces.

"We literally had to fight our way into the city," Peterson recalled of the incident. "An Army rapid response team came out to support us and, between the convoy and that team, we had to fight every inch of the way in.

"They were hitting us with RPG fire, AK fire - everything you can think of. I was laying down fire out of a window as we forced our way into the city," Peterson said.

While several vehicles were destroyed in that firefight and two U.S. troops were injured, all the Airmen and Soldiers survived.

"It was certainly nothing you would expect to be involved in being in the Air Force, but that was the mission we were assigned to," Peterson said.

The NCO Academy at Tyndall honored Peterson during a ceremony on March 27, 2013, which he attended.

"We were given the opportunity to name our flight's classroom after someone who had gone above and beyond during a deployment," explained Technical Sgt. Michelle Miller, a student at the NCO Academy, where mid-career Airmen are taught the necessary leadership skills to prepare for service as a senior NCO.

After meeting Peterson, Miller commented that the classroom honor turned out to be a case of "good things happening to good people."

The honor at the NCO Academy for Peterson was not the first time he was called to a ceremony as a result of his 2004 combat. In 2007, the Air Force created the Air Force Combat Action Medal to recognize the specific accomplishments of those Airmen who had been called upon to serve in ground combat roles more commonly associated with Army service. At that time, Peterson and the other five initial recipients of the award, were called to a ceremony at the Air Force Memorial in Washington D.C. where then-Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley personally pinned the award on Peterson and his peers.

Peterson, who is also a musician, said being a leader is in some ways similar to creating a piece of music.

"You lay down different tracks of music, the vocals. If you listen to each piece individually, it doesn't sound like much. But when you put it all together, you have something," he said. "Leadership isn't just doing one thing. Its knowing your people, putting things together in a way that makes sense. And to be listening for new sounds and new ideas to improve."

Peterson has served his nation in Air Force blue for more than 23 years. He initially served for eight years on active duty. He then returned home to the Detroit area and served for 10 years in the Air Force Reserve at Selfridge. When the 927th ARW relocated to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., in 2007, Peterson transferred to the Michigan Air National Guard and has served with the 127th LRS ever since.

Corporal's Course receives sister service members

by Airman Sean M. Crowe
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

4/1/2013 - JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Joint base service members from the Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy are attending Corporal's Course, previously exclusive to Marines, March 11 through 29, 2013, here.

The current iteration of Corporal's Course here is the first to open its doors to sister services. It is a three-week course in which E-4 grade service members learn to become NCOs through professional military education.

"The purpose of opening the course to other services is to utilize local assets to train service members," said Gunnery Sgt. Brad Gravat, Marine Aircraft Group 49 staff NCO in charge. "We can save resources while building on the students' professional military education and continuing to foster joint relations here."

Instructors such as Gravat, a Fairhope, Ala., native, provide the 33 service members a plethora of responsibilities and skills required to perform NCO duties. Service members learn a variety of subjects including combat leadership, military professionalism, supervision, mentoring and public speaking. Instructors will test the students' knowledge at the end of the course with a test that covers all topics discussed throughout the course.

"Several Airmen throughout the bases tenant units submitted packages to their squadrons," said Senior Airman Thomas Waters, 87th Civil Engineer Squadron journeyman firefighter. "The 87th Mission Support Group selected me and one other Airman for the course, which will give me the opportunity to develop as a leader."

The Air Force doesn't require Waters, a Salem, N.Y. native, to take PME until reaching the Air Force's first NCO rank, staff sergeant. Marines, however, must take either the Corporal's Course or an online equivalent upon becoming a corporal.

"I volunteered for this course when my squadron asked who wanted to attend," said Cpl. David Cordero, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 avionics technician originally from Anaheim, Calif. "It's a great opportunity to learn how to lead. We get to learn Air Force Instructions, making this course beneficial for all the services involved."

Service members belonging to other branches learn Marine Corps methods, standards and traditions as part of the course.

"I think this course will encourage me to hold myself to a higher standard," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Gregory Garcia, Fleet Readiness Center East 400th Division machinist's mate from Albuquerque, N.M. "Sailors must take a course upon becoming a petty officer 3rd class, but the course is not as strenuous and in-depth. I'd like to take what I've learned here and use it to hold my unit accountable."

The E-4 grade service members are slated to graduate Corporal's Course March 29 with a formal ceremony in which the only honor graduate will be awarded the NCO sword. The other graduates are authorized to procure their own sword once they rate as NCOs.

ACC announces Outstanding Airmen of the Year

Air Combat Command Public Affairs

3/29/2013 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- Air Combat Command announced the 2013 Outstanding Airmen of the Year winners during a spring leadership conference at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., March 26.

"ACC's Outstanding Airmen of the Year represent superb Airmen doing great work," said Gen. Mike Hostage, commander of ACC. "They represent the leading edge and high quality work of all our Airmen."

Hostage however wasn't alone in offering praise; sentiment echoed from the ACC command chief's office as well.

"Congratulations to all our OAY winners and their families," said Chief Master Sgt. Richard Parsons, ACC command chief. "Due to your individual efforts and sacrifices you have been selected to represent an amazing team of ACC Airmen who provide operational combat power which ensures America of her freedoms."

Congratulations to the following OAY winners:
Airman
Senior Airman Andrew M. Groff
Beale AFB

Noncommissioned Officer
Tech. Sgt. Celeste C. Okokon
Dyess AFB

Senior NCO
Senior Master Sgt. Matthew J. Junglas
Davis-Monthan AFB

First Sergeant
Senior Master Sgt. Joshua R. Tidwell
Joint Base Langley-Eustis

Honor Guard
Senior Airman Dexter D. Tapley
Mountain Home AFB

Honor Guard Program Manager
Tech Sgt. Charles F. Presley II

Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard announce 2013 Teen Leadership Summits

from Courtesy story

3/27/2013 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard announced the 2013 AFR/ANG Teen Leadership Summit locations.

The AFR/ANG Teen Leadership Summit locations this summer are in Dahlonega, Ga., and Estes Park, Colo.

The teen summits combine high-adventure activities with leadership classes to allow teens to tap into their leadership potential and discover hidden strengths while developing a sense of belonging as part of the Air Force community.

Teens with a parent in the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard can sign up to attend one of the free summits. April 15 is the application deadline. Participants must be 14 to 18 years old.

More information is available at http://www.georgia4h.org/afrangteensummit.

Teens must answer essay questions and complete code-of-conduct and transportation forms to attend one of the summits.

The first summit is the Classic Teen Leadership Summit in Dahlonega, Ga., June 16-21.

During this week-long adventure, teens will participate in group activities such as high ropes, zip-line canopy tour, white-water rafting, hiking, fishing, archery and survival classes.

Attendees will be introduced to community partners, such as 4-H, American Legion and YMCA, which provide support to military families. The teens will also attend leadership classes throughout the week.

The second summit is the Adventure Teen Leadership Summit in Estes Park, Colo., Aug. 13-18.

During this summit, teens will take part in daily adventure activities including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, horse colt training, arts and crafts, woodworking, technical rock climbing and archery.

Leadership classes taught throughout the week include the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Each evening, teens will gather for programs including campfires and songs, musical performances and environmental education classes.

Both summits include military traditions and community service projects.

For more information, please contact Casey Mull or Marilyn Huff-Waller at

milcamps@uga.edu or (706) 542-4444. Email is the preferred contact method until closer to the summer.

AFR/ANG announces 2013 Teen Leadership Summits

3/28/2013 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga -- The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard announced the 2013 AFR/ANG Teen Leadership Summit locations.

The AFR/ANG Teen Leadership Summit locations this summer are in Dahlonega, Ga., and Estes Park, Colo.

The teen summits combine high-adventure activities with leadership classes to allow teens to tap into their leadership potential and discover hidden strengths while developing a sense of belonging as part of the Air Force community.

Teens with a parent in the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard can sign up to attend one of the free summits. April 15 is the application deadline. Participants must be 14 to 18 years old.

More information is available at http://www.georgia4h.org/afrangteensummit.

Teens must answer essay questions and complete code-of-conduct and transportation forms to attend one of the summits.

The first summit is the Classic Teen Leadership Summit in Dahlonega, Ga., June 16-21.
During this week-long adventure, teens will participate in group activities such as high ropes, zip-line canopy tour, white-water rafting, hiking, fishing, archery and survival classes! Attendees will be introduced to community partners, such as 4-H, American Legion and YMCA, who provide support to military families. The teens will also attend leadership classes throughout the week.

The second summit is the Adventure Teen Leadership Summit in Estes Park, Colo. Aug. 13-18.

During this summit, teens will take part in daily adventure activities including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, horse colt training, arts and crafts, woodworking, technical rock climbing, and archery. Leadership classes taught throughout the week include the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Each evening, teens will gather for programs including camp fires and songs, musical performances and environmental education classes.

Both summits include military traditions and community service projects.

For more information, please contact Casey Mull or Marilyn Huff-Waller at
milcamps@uga.edu or (706) 542-4444. Email is the preferred contact method until closer to the summer.

USAF First Sergeant Academy embraces blended learning

by Airman 1st Class William J. Blankenship
Air University Public Affairs

3/20/2013 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The U. S. Air Force First Sergeant Academy has transformed its curriculum from a traditional "brick-and-mortar" education experience to a mixture of facilitated distance learning and in-resident classroom time to teach future first sergeants.

What was once a three-week in-residence course is now four weeks of distance learning followed by two weeks at the academy, which is located on Gunter Annex.

"Blended learning offers the academy and Airmen much more flexibility," said Chief Master Sgt. Emmette Bush Jr., academy commandant. "The students get a large component of the curriculum online before they get here. Those building blocks are put to use during later lessons when students are in the classroom for their resident time."

The academy graduates about 500 first sergeants annually and is part of the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education. The online curriculum includes subject areas such as administration, human resource management, maintenance of discipline and readiness.

In addition, under the previous curriculum, academy instructors traveled to various bases to conduct seminars as additional learning opportunities. Blended learning, however, replaces the need for instructors to go on temporary duty to conduct the seminars, while still maintaining the number of graduates.

"Facilitated distance learning brings us up to the state-of-the-art in post-secondary education and delivery methods," said Col. Stewart Price, Barnes Center commander. "It leverages readily available education and learning management systems and delivers education in an environment today's NCOs are comfortable operating in--an Internet-based platform. This technology allows us to put the comprehension levels of learning in a low-cost environment and saves the TDY days for things that absolutely need to happen in a resident environment."

The quality of instruction is also improved.

"Blended learning gives us the flexibility to inject more dialogue and curriculum into the training and doing so in a financially savvy way," said Bush.

The changes in the curriculum also support mission effectiveness at home stations as well because students have the ability to participate while continuing with their jobs.

"The blended learning experience also allows students in the field the opportunity for mentoring from their own first sergeants before traveling here for training," said Bush.

The four-week online portion sets the stage for students to attend the two-week in-residence course, where instructors explain and walk through various duties they will be responsible for as a first sergeants at their next assignments.

"Blended learning was a pretty good experience for me, and I think the whole class took something away from the online course," said Master Sgt. Johnnie Bork, a recent graduate. "We had discussion questions on various subjects we would encounter as a first sergeant, and I was able to do a lot of research."

Bork said that because of the research he did before arriving at the academy, he was better prepared for classroom discussions.

"Because of this curriculum, we can be better prepared to serve our commanders and our Airmen," said Bush. "We need good leaders to take care of the Airmen. Blended learning is making that happen, and better leaders make for better Airmen."

Commander's vision for AETC outlined in learning transformation document

by Staff Sgt. Clinton Atkins
Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

3/18/2013 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- Air Education and Training Command officials created a document that provides an in-depth look into the commander's vision for the future.

The document, "An AETC Vision for Learning Transformation," was designed to provide information on the way ahead to anyone affected by changes within AETC about why and how the command will transform its education and training capabilities to meet future demands while operating in an increasingly-constrained fiscal environment.

The 23-page vision contains two chapters. The first chapter describes the vision and shows how learning should look for the Air Force in the future, and the second chapter provides examples of how the vision will look in Airmen's careers. Hypothetical timelines were used as examples of how the vision will look in several typical Airmen's careers.

"(The vision) should guide people's thinking about how we can deliver our product in a time of scarce resources by doing things differently," said A.J. Ranft, AETC chief learning officer.
"It's important for (AETC Airmen) to understand where we are going," he said. "I think it's very important for them to understand we just don't have the money and the resources to continue to do things the way we are. Transformation is not an option, it's a requirement. So think differently about how you do your job, because that's what it's going to take for us to continue."

Ranft said other MAJCOMs and even other services and federal departments may benefit from reading the outlined vision as well.

"Other MAJCOMs, who have a stake in the product that we deliver, care about the product of pilot training and they care about the product of technical training," he said. "It's to let them know we are keenly interested in providing them with a better graduate, but being able to maintain the production numbers that we have."

Ranft said the vision needs to be communicated down to the lowest level, because that's where the change truly takes effect.

"We have an opportunity now, within AETC and the Air Force, to transform how we deliver education and training," said Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr., AETC commander. "This opportunity is driven by a future environment with more constrained resources and enabled by modern advances in technology and learning methodologies. By leveraging this opportunity, we can change the paradigm of how we deliver education and training to our Airmen so that it is more effective, more personalized, and more persistent and will likely save resources by being more efficient."

One success inspires the next for today's women leaders

by Martha Lockwood
Air Force News Service

3/16/2013 - FORT MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- "Things done are won; joy's soul is in the doing." This quote from one of Shakespeare's most ambiguous plays, Troilus and Cressida, appears to be the constant theme behind the careers of many of the Air Force's most accomplished women.

Whether it was The Honorable Sheila E. Widnall, the 18th Secretary of the Air Force (1993-97)--and the first and only woman to take the oath of office as the secretary of any of the armed forces--who came out of academia to answer her country's call; or Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger, a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in engineering sciences, who has come up through the ranks to become the Air Force's first female four-star general; or Maj. Nicole Malachowski, who in 2006, was the first woman pilot on the precision flying team the Air Force Thunderbirds, the same can be said of each: One success served only to provide the inspiration and firm foundation for the next.

The joy of doing, and a recurring theme of innovation, is also the distinguishing theme throughout others' careers, as well. The four following highlighted careers are, like the three mentioned above, women who put a human face on Air Force excellence. Whether it's in academia, service, or leadership, whether they serve stateside or overseas, in times of peace or theatres of conflict, these are very human and inspiring lives.

Maj. Gen. Mary Kay Hertog is a solid example of building one's successes on a firm foundation of excellence in academia, service, and leadership. She began her career in ROTC, where she emerged as a distinguished graduate in 1978. Her work at unit, major command, and Air Staff level in various positions has included commanding several large security forces units, a technical training group, and one of the largest training wings in the U.S. Air Force, at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. She was the director of Security Forces, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.; and prior to her current assignment, she was the commander, 2nd Air Force, Keesler AFB, Miss.

Concurrently, she was pursuing her education -Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.; a master's degree in industrial psychology from Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.; and both the Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

Today, she is the Director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO), which is the Department of Defense's single point of accountability for all sexual assault policy matters. SAPRO reports to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

As with Maj. Gen. Hertog, wholehearted involvement in the Air Force is a defining characteristic of retired Maj. Gen. Marcelite Harris' career. More than a decade before Maj. Gen. Hertog, Major Gen. Harris also followed a traditional path, obtaining her bachelor's degree in speech and drama from Spellman College in Atlanta in 1964. A year later, she was commissioned a second lieutenant after completing Officer Training School at Lackland AFB, Texas.

After early-career assignments as an administrative officer, Harris transitioned into the maintenance field by attending the aircraft maintenance officer's course at Chanute Air Force Base, Ill., and graduated as the first female aircraft maintenance officer. After a series of maintenance supervisor assignments in Thailand, California, and Washington, D.C., Harris became one of the first women to be an air officer commanding at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Following a series of equally stellar appointments throughout the world, Harris became the first female African-American general in 1991.

Although she retired from active duty in 1997, Harris continues a rigorous and active involvement in the Air Force. In 2010, President Obama appointed her a member of the Board of Visitors for the United States Air Force Academy.

Excellence in academics, service, and leadership isn't the only path to success for women in the Air Force. And even careers that seemingly converge, often demonstrate excellence in different ways. Two people who were named to the first female fighter-pilot class in 1993--retired Lt. Col. Sharon Preszler and retired Col. Martha McSally--found their similar skills and training put to use in different arenas.

Seeing the opportunity to become a fighter pilot as full participation in "a performance-based industry," Preszler was stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, upon completion of her training. There she flew sorties over Iraq as part of Operation Northern Watch. Ultimately becoming 20th Fighter Wing staff director and Commander's Action Group director, Preszler credits her mother with instilling in her the idea that she could fly planes, not just ride in them.

Col. Martha McSally was also named to that first all-female class of fighter pilots in 1993, but it would be another year before she actually arrived. Upon graduation in 1995, she was deployed to Kuwait where she saw action in Afghanistan. In July 2004, when she took command of the 354th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., she became the first woman to command a fighter squadron.

There is no question that for these four women, and for the thousands of men and women who have excelled in their own Air Force niche, joy is found in a job well done. And inspiration. There must be an ideal to light the way. McSally may have said it best: "...I hope I'm a role model to both men and women because we are a fighting force and should not be concerned with the differences between us."

(Martha Lockwood is the chief of Air Force Information Products, Defense Media Activity)

First AF woman 4-star comes full circle

3/11/2013 - FORT MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- Young Janet Libby was definitely someone going places at Beavercreek High School near Dayton, Ohio. She was in the National Honor Society, on both the German and Ski clubs and a soccer athlete as well.

But even those friends and well-wishers who would have signed her senior yearbook with words like "you'll go far," and "you'll be a success in life," could never have imagined that the young daughter of an Air Force pilot would go on to become the first female in the Air Force to attain the rank of four-star general, and only the second in military history.

Today, Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger has come full circle from those Beavercreek roots as the commander of the Air Force Materiel Command, a major command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, just a few miles from where she graduated from high school. She is responsible for more than 80,000 Airmen and civilians worldwide, along with a $60 billion annual budget, leading an organization that supports the warfighting efforts through state-of-the-art technology, weapon systems management, systems development and evaluation and a global supply-chain management system.

It didn't take long following her graduation from high school for Wolfenbarger to make her mark. After a suggestion from her dad a year earlier, she applied and was accepted in 1976 into the first class at the Air Force Academy to accept women.

"The Air Force Academy was an opportunity for me to be stretched in so many ways: physically, mentally and emotionally," said Wolfenbarger at a women's conference in San Diego in 2011. "It was an opportunity to prove to myself that, in fact, I could withstand those kinds of experiences, and come out on the other end realizing that I was far more capable than I ever thought I would be. The experience gave me a belief in myself that I have relied upon ever since."

Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1980, she has spent most of her career in the acquisition field, leaving her imprint on the purchase, testing and implementation of the F-22 Raptor, the B-2 Spirit and the C-17 Globemaster III programs. She went on to earn a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in aeronautics and astronautics.

Although Wolfenbarger is proud of her accomplishments and the direction women are headed in the Air Force, she said that she never wanted to be recognized for simply being a woman. "I wanted to do well and be recognized because I worked hard," said Wolfenbarger. "I did the very best I could at every job I held."

During the early 1980s, when Wolfenbarger was in the early stages of her career, she told stories of women who could be discharged for getting pregnant or even adopting a child. There were also many more career fields closed to women at the time. She believes that over the past three decades, women have made tremendous strides.

"We now have, not only maternity leave, but also paternity leave for our service members," she said. "Also, when I joined, there were a host of career fields closed to women, but we can now, as a service, proudly say that we have 97 percent of our career fields open to women."

Even though Wolfenbarger believes many women entering the Air Force today may take for granted their equal status, she said there are still areas of progress yet to be overcome.

"I think one of our challenges when we serve our country is that there is such a drive to support our nation in whatever mission we are assigned. I think there has to be a constant reminder that we all have to search for that work and life balance because, in the end, it is our families, our friends and our health that we have to rely on when our careers are over."

AETC command chief to Airmen: “You matter”

by Staff Sgt. Clinton Atkins
Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

3/7/2013 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- The command chief for Air Education and Training Command is using his conventional wisdom to lead today's Airmen by being out front and connecting.

AETC Command Chief Master Sgt. Gerardo Tapia Jr., formerly the command chief with the 12th Air Force at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., has been on the job just more than a month and already knows what he's going to do to lead AETC's Airmen. He's been doing it his entire career - taking care of Airmen.

This is Tapia's third assignment as a command chief, and he knows all too well how to do a job he loves after 28 years of service.

His background in Personnel and master's degree in human resources development and management give him a distinct advantage when it comes to developing and leading people.

"I am incredibly comfortable being in the business of developing our Airmen," said Tapia. "Caring for people is a natural thing for me. I've always had a passion for people."

He plans to visit with as many Airmen as possible in order to be a conduit between AETC Commander Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr.

"If General Rice comes in here and asks how our Airmen are doing, how can I answer that question if I haven't been out to the field with them, shared meals with them, come in late and walked the dorms and been in the duty sections," he said. "That's where you get the real feel for how things are going and Airmen will really open up to you over a plate of hamburger and french fries."

Tapia recently made his first base visit as the new command chief to Luke AFB, Ariz., where he spent time with the Airmen to talk about key issues such as Comprehensive Airmen Fitness.

When the command chief speaks to his Airmen he reminds them about the faith and trust the Air Force has in them.

"My big message to them is that standards in this command matter; that level of excellence that we have grown accustomed to putting forth in this command matters; the extra effort they give us every single day matters; that their families matter; that their professional development matters to me," he said.

Tapia will diligently deliver that message wherever his travels take him throughout the command. And even though he may not be able to reach every Airman, he hopes his words are echoed all over AETC.

"I honestly wish I had enough time to go around and meet every single person in the command and tell them I'm proud of them and thank them for their sacrifices, but I know I probably won't be able to meet all of them," he said.

"I have them (the Airmen) on my mind constantly," said Tapia. "I care deeply about them and their families. I will be working as hard as I possibly can to ensure that we have their best interests in mind. I am their voice for that."

A snowstorm, a shovel and a lesson

Commentary by 1st Lt. Zach Anderson
931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs

3/5/2013 - MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- "This is a one big mess."

Those were my thoughts as I peered out the window of my second floor apartment at a vast blanket of white covering the ground. The sidewalks, steps, and parking lot of the complex were buried under more than 14 inches of snow, dumped on the area courtesy of the second-largest snowstorm on record for Wichita.

Having relocated to the Midwest after more than two years in Southern California, I had been spoiled by living in the mild weather of the "endless summer." I now despised the bitter cold of the annual Kansas snowstorms. Since our move from the west coast, my wife and I had taken our coats and other winter clothes out of storage, but we'd neglected to make one essential purchase: A snow shovel. I now dreaded wading out into the drifts armed with nothing but a piece of cardboard to excavate a path to our vehicles.

As the last few flurries fell from the sky, I heard a strange, scraping sound coming from below. I looked down and saw an individual bundled in cold weather gear attacking the sidewalks with a shovel, slowly making progress in carving a route through the snow. As I watched, he worked his way down the sidewalk and began clearing the steps of the apartment buildings.

I was extremely impressed.

"Hey, check this out," I said to my wife. "It literally just stopped snowing and the maintenance guys are already out clearing the sidewalks and the steps!"

Due to the weather, I had been instructed not to report to the base that day. I had ambitious plans to spend the morning on the couch in my pajamas, drinking coffee and watching reruns. My wife, however, had other plans for me. Her employer had not yet closed for the day, and she informed me that she fully intended to try to make it to work despite the massive snowfall.

Being the supportive husband that I am, I dutifully donned my coat and stepped outside to warm up her car and see if I could possibly dig it out of the snow. I figured it was the least I could do considering she was planning to go to work and I was staying home.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the "maintenance guy" had not only cleared the sidewalks and steps, but also had made a pathway through the snow to the parking lot, giving me easy access to her car without having to plod through the snow banks.

"These maintenance guys are awesome," I thought as I set about the task of chipping away at the ice encasing the windshield.

As I worked, I noticed the "maintenance guy" was now in the parking lot and working to dig a vehicle out of the snow, making his way to the bare pavement one shovelful at a time.

I decided to thank him for clearing the sidewalks off so quickly after the storm. I walked toward where he was working, and that's when I noticed his boots.

Green suede leather. Air Force issue. The same type of boots I was wearing to protect my feet from the snow.

"Are you in the Air Force?," I asked, a bit confused as I still thought this guy was a part of the apartment maintenance team.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm a crew chief at McConnell."

"So you don't work for the apartments?," I asked, still not quite understanding why he was shoveling snow.

"No," he said. "I just live here."

"So why did you shovel the sidewalks and clear the way to the parking lot?," I asked, genuinely curious.

He smiled.

"Well, I had a snow shovel and I figured people would need to get out to their cars, so I just thought I'd go ahead and take care of it," he said.

He then noticed that I had been trying to dig my wife's car out without a shovel.

"Hey," he said, "Do you want some help with getting your car out of the snow?"

I was impressed, inspired and humbled all in the same moment. In my Air Force career, I've heard my share of inspirational Air Force stories and been schooled in Air Force heritage, history and doctrine. I've listened as senior leaders lectured on the meaning of our core values and what it means to be an Airman. And yet here, right in front of me, holding a shovel and standing in a foot of snow, was a simple, yet poignant example of service before self that resonated with me like many lessons of the past never had.

Over the next couple of days, I managed to track down the snow shoveling Airman. As it turns out, Senior Airman Ryan McPartland is an Air Reserve Technician here, a member of the 931st Maintenance Squadron. When I had the opportunity to speak to him again, I asked him why he had taken the initiative to do what he had done.

"When I saw all the snow blocking the pathways and parking lots, I thought about the older individuals who live in the apartments and some of the families that have small children," he said. "I didn't want anyone to slip and fall out there, and once I had cleared the sidewalks I just decided to go ahead and start shoveling out near the cars and help whoever might need it out there. I was brought up to help others without wanting or expecting anything in return."

Helping others without wanting or expecting anything in return.  If that isn't the definition of service before self, I don't know what is.

Airman McPartland's example, while not an act of valor on the battlefield or a tremendous, life-altering feat, definitely taught me an important lesson. And ultimately, it drove home what service before self is really all about.

It's not about huge, force-wide undertakings of volunteerism. It's not about "being a good wingman" or any other catch phrase. It's simply about being willing, each day, to take the time to put the needs of others, the needs of the mission, ahead of your own. It's being willing to sacrifice for the greater good of all.

It's being willing to spend hours in the cold, shoveling snow so others won't have to.

I learned a lot on that messy, snowy morning ... and I'll never look at a Kansas snowstorm quite the same way.