First sergeants are priceless assets to their units

Filed under Air Force, On the Job by on February 15, 2012 at 6:02 pm {7 comments}

By Master Sgt. Brian McFarland
92nd Medical Group

In the first few years of my Air Force career and more recently over my four-month tenure as an interim first sergeant, I’ve become increasingly familiar with a negative connotation associated with the position of the first sergeant.

More often than not, when I ask the question: “What’s the first thing you think of when you think of a first sergeant?” The responses I’ve received include, “trouble, discipline, problems, standards, and Article 15s.” The majority of these responses come from, but are not limited to first term Airman with less than one year on station.

If you were to reference AFI 36-2113, The First Sergeant, it’s there in black and white ink. Words like “disciplinary actions, standards and authority.” While all of these attributes are vital to the force and serve a very necessary purpose in each and every unit, squadron and group across the Air Force, that’s not all a first sergeant is about. A first sergeant is a priceless asset to the men and women in the unit he/she is assigned to.

First Sergeant

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, “asset” is defined as “a useful or valuable quality, person, or thing; an advantage or resource.” Every piece of Merriam-Webster’s definition of an asset correlates to an Air Force first sergeant and what they are to the Airmen, NCOs, senior NCOs and officers assigned to their respective unit. The unfortunate truth about the successes had by first sergeants is that nine out of 10 times, they occur behind closed doors and stay between the member requiring some level of assistance, their immediate supervisor and the “shirt.”

You may hear about the trouble going on in the squadron and the discipline as a result of it, or you may see the “shirt” correcting a dress and appearance issue on the spot, and you might know that if an active duty member goes to jail, it’s the first sergeant that gets the call and facilitates the member’s release. At first glance, the aforementioned examples seem to have negative connotations behind them. If you were to look a little deeper and “peel back the onion” on these situations, the positive effect of the first sergeant’s actions will be staring you square in the face.

So, when the first sergeant discussion takes place with a first term Airman, whom for the most part, has a blank active duty canvas eagerly waiting to be painted with positive Air Force images and memories, my challenge to you all is to mention the good in the same breath you mention the bad.

First sergeants work 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week for the members of their respective unit and should the phone ring at three in the morning on a Saturday, your “shirt” will answer, wipe the sleep out of his/her eyes, and provide you with whatever level of assistance you need to facilitate a positive outcome.

Take care of the mission first, take care of each other to build trust and an unbeatable team and take care of yourself with a personal commitment to be the best.

Libyans, Airmen: the Bond of Freedom

Filed under Air Force, On the Job by on November 2, 2011 at 10:24 am {no comments}

By Maj. Michael Meridith
18th Air Force

As members of the greatest military on the planet, we recognize and honor those who are willing to make great sacrifices in the cause of freedom. On Saturday in the same place that the American republic was born, I was privileged to come face to face with a group of Libyan fighters who had made those sacrifices.

At the request of the Department of State, the Secretary of Defense had directed two medical assistance missions in Libya. In the first mission, four wounded fighters were transported to medical facilities in Europe by a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

A C-17 Globemaster III aircraft assigned to the 172nd Airlift Wing out of Jackson, Miss., carried out the second mission, landing at Boston Logan International Airport in the midst of a massive winter storm after a nearly 13-hour flight from Libya. As the senior Air Force representative sent to the location, I had the honor of greeting the flight.

The Libyan Transitional National Council had requested the transport of fighters to American medical facilities because their injuries could not be treated in Libya. This is a testament to the esteem in which American medical professionals are held. This esteem holds true for the unsung aeromedical evacuation (AE) professionals that ensured the safe, comfortable transport of these wounded warriors.
U.S. Air Force aeromedical evacuation

I saw that esteem firsthand in the emotional hugs and handshakes shared between the Libyans and the AE crew as the patients departed. In those farewells I saw more than just a physician-patient relationship; I saw respect between two groups of individuals who had made the conscious decision to put everything on the line for the cause of freedom.

We often speak of how air mobility “answers the call” and “delivers hope.” AE crews are hard at work across the globe every single day, answering those calls and saving lives, whether thousands in the case of major humanitarian crises or the 22 that debarked the aircraft at Logan. These professionals will humbly tell you, as one did that evening, “we’re here to help out … that’s what we’re called to do. We bring the guys back safely.”

While their modesty does them credit, it’s important to recognize the contribution of AE professionals is far-reaching. In fact, these experts have conducted more than 179,000 patient movements and 36,000 sorties since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 19, 2003. That averages out to nearly 12.4 potentially life-saving missions a day.

While no one can predict exactly what the future of Libya holds, I wonder what the wounded warriors will think about America when they return home. I don’t doubt they will be thankful for the care they received, but I wonder if they will also recognize that at least part of that care was provided by warriors like themselves … linked by a common bond: the willingness to sacrifice for freedom.

Photo: U.S. Air Force aeromedical evacuation crews, along with local emergency medical personnel, assist Libyan fighters off of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft at Boston Logan Airport Oct. 29. At the request of the Department of State and directed by the Secretary of Defense, the U.S. military is supporting U.S. and international medical assistance efforts in Libya. Specifically, the U.S. Air Force transported 22 wounded Libyans to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Salem, Mass. (Photo by Walter Santos)

Behind the stars

Filed under Air Force, On the Job by on October 9, 2011 at 12:20 am {6 comments}

By Technical Sgt. Sarah Morgan
Air Force Global Strike Command

Behind every general officer in the Air Force is a special team designed to support them and bring forth important issues in the command. Almost everyone has heard of an executive officer, the aide de camp and administrative assistant, but what many of you don’t know is that there is a very small career field of enlisted aides who are behind the stars.

The enlisted aide career field is a special duty, made up of the ranks of staff sergeant to chief master sergeant. Each three star general in the Air Force is allocated one enlisted aide and each four star is allocated two. These dedicated professionals are responsible for uniforms, social obligations held at the general officer’s home, and the management of the quarters to include yard maintenance and coordination of repairs. They come from all different backgrounds and experiences in the Air Force but one thing they have in common is their passion in the culinary arts. TSgt Morgan

It was this passion which brought me into the career field. I was an airman first class when I was first introduced to the enlisted aide career field. I was working as a missile field chef in the 319th Missile Squadron when we had a visit from the US STRATCOM commander and the commander of the Twentieth Air Force. The Twentieth commander noticed that I had a hunger to improve in my culinary skills and offered me the opportunity to train with his enlisted aide. I jumped at the chance to get some real training.

The enlisted aide I trained under was a technical sergeant who loved his job! His culinary passion was apparent in the flavors of each dish he prepared. I spent a few days learning about the enlisted aide career field and a couple days helping prepare for a dinner party being held at the quarters. The few days I spent in the kitchen with this chef inspired me to pursue my culinary dreams.

I was hired as an enlisted aide in 2002 and since then have had the opportunity to work for three different general officers and a handful of amazing chefs in my very small career field. The training I have received since becoming an enlisted aide has been invaluable to my professional and technical development. I encourage anyone who wants a challenging and rewarding occupation in culinary to pursue his or her dreams and work behind the stars with me.

Enlisted aides attend rigorous culinary training, to include Basic Culinary Training at Randolph Air Force Base, Food Safety and Sanitation, Culinary Institute of America’s Professional Chef Certification Training and Advanced Culinary training at Fort Lee Virginia. In addition to their culinary training, enlisted aides take courses in household management and general officer quarters management.

Photo: TSgt Sarah Morgan demonstrates her show piece at a director’s dinner July 29, 2011.

Energy-conscious military calls for energy-conscious troops

Filed under Air Force, On the Job by on July 21, 2011 at 10:46 am {no comments}

By Isabel Calamoneri
Cadet 3rd Class, AFROTC
Detachment 160, University of Georgia

In this blog post, an AFROTC cadet provides her perspective on the Army-Air Force Energy Forum that took place Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington D.C.

Winds of EnergyIn a break out session on culture change, Colonel Patrick Kumashiro, Commander, 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG), talked about four ideas that he believes are pivotal to changing our Air Force and greater military’s mindset on smarter energy use and conservation.

First, and most importantly, we have to have the right people. We need people who are informed about modern conservation technologies; we need people who are eager to move forward toward a greener force, and we need people who know people (especially rich ones). If we can create a network of resources, the attitude and almost as important, the funds needed to create this change should begin to provide a solid foundation off which to build when shaping a new, more energy-conscious military.

The second factor Col Kumashiro discussed was the importance of instilling policy that encourages or even demands greener standards of operation. Standards cannot be enforced and maintained until they have been established.

Another key player in our efforts to change the culture is education. If we lack men and women who are informed about modern conservation technologies, we lack the resources needed to develop new systems. Beyond employing scholars who focus on conservation, we need to educate Service members in ways in which they can conserve energy in their day-to-day lives. If we can instill good habits on the most basic levels (turning off lights when leaving a room, not running the water when brushing teeth, etc), we can begin to change the way people think about energy use.

Finally, we must consider from where we are receiving the funds to make tangible changes to the actual assets that we are using every day. With limited funding, it is especially important that we allocate as much money and time as is available toward making changes to the buildings, appliances, and tools that we use every day.

So, what does this mean to me? How, as an AFROTC cadet, can I apply these ideas to my little role in our military? Well, I would say that being at a big school like the University of Georgia allows me to network with all different kinds of people. I can start to make those connections with students who are going into contracting and renewable energy research and production. I can take a class or two on the importance of energy conservation and encourage my peers to do the same– awareness is the first step. While I have little control over “policy,” I can establish rules with my roommates/hallmates/housemates to be careful about leaving lights, TVs, and radios on when they leave the room; to unplug hair dryers and phone and computer chargers when not in use; to turn off the water when brushing teeth and not to run the shower until they are ready to get in it.

Additionally, I could ask that we do our best to make similar changes at the detachment in order to get cadets in the right mindset before they become officers and begin living off of the Air Force’s budget. While these changes are small, they can make a big difference in energy consumption over the years. Furthermore, if these habits are passed on to future generations and future roommates/hallmates/housemates, the breadth of culture change will begin to expand throughout the country, even beyond the military.

Photo: Two of the three wind turbines at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. face the wind coming across the high plains and push against the clouds that later dropped a few inches of snow on the base and surrounding city of Cheyenne on April 6, 2010. The larger wind turbine (right) was completed and online early in 2009 and is rated at 2 mega watts of electrical energy that goes directly into the base power grid. The other two produces a combined output of 1.3MW. From most points on the base the wind turbines can be seen. At its base, the blades make a low whoosh sound. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lance Cheung)

121,000 pounds in 15 seconds

Filed under Air Force, On the Job by on July 13, 2011 at 11:00 am {one comment}

By Staff Sgt. David Salanitri
U.S. Air Forces Central

Their flight suits are soaked through with sweat, it’s 110 degrees outside and the smell in the U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III resembles a high school locker room — we’re 30 minutes into our 15-hour mission.

Air DropLike the majority of people who like to browse news on the war, I’ve seen many pictures and videos of supplies and cargo being dropped from an aircraft … the pallets of supplies float gracefully down and that is that. Never do I see the blood, sweat and tears that go behind getting those pallets to where they need to be.

The crew is alerted around 9 a.m. and arrives to the squadron 40 minutes later. They assemble for a highly detailed pre-mission brief that prepares the Airmen for what they will face during their mission.

Once processed through customs, it’s time to arm up and head to the plane. Today is my first combat airdrop mission; our location is somewhere in Southwest Asia. The air is heavy with humidity — you can actually feel the air on your skin. At this point, all we’ve done is place our bags on the C-17 and already our flight suits are drenched in sweat. Drops of perspiration are falling off the loadmaster’s face. We have 13 hours left in the day.

Even in the cargo bay of the massive aircraft, room is at a premium. More than 73,000 pounds of JP-8 fuel loaded on 40 pallets fill the aircraft from tail to nose, leaving just enough space for us to walk along the sides. The loadmaster’s voice comes over the speakers “ready for takeoff.” Within seconds our warehouse with wings is in the air.

Estimated time over target is two hours. The lights dim and things begin to cool off as we ascend.

As we get closer to the drop zone, Staff Sgt. Russ Johnson, an 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster, signals a 30-minute warning. My two partners are no strangers to documenting airdrops, but for me, this is a new experience.

I strap myself into a seat in the back by the door. The aircraft dives, dips and dodges its way through the mountains of Afghanistan — I eye up the closest pile of puke-bags in case things go south for this guy.

The door opens at about 1,000 feet above the ground. I knew Afghanistan was mountainous, but I couldn’t have been prepared for what I saw. The mountains are high and the aircraft is low. It feels as though I could reach out and touch the mountaintops — I wasn’t too far off.

It’s game time. Red light … yellow light … green light. Within two seconds, 36,500 pounds of JP-8 fuel violently races past me and out the aircraft, floating down to coalition troops on the ground. Our second pass drops another load.

Gearing up for our third drop, a stop is made at Bagram Airfield (BAF) to refuel and load up another 48,000 pounds of Meals, Ready to Eat. As we’re parked on the ramp, the doors open and the tail goes down. For anyone who hasn’t been to BAF, it’s a sight to see. A bowl of mountains surround the airfield. On the ramp of the aircraft lay two loadmasters enjoying the sunset on what appears to be a peaceful evening.

With one pallet left to load on the plane, sirens go off. The peaceful moment disappears as the crew loading the plane runs for cover because, make no mistake about it, we are at war.

Air DropThe news team and aircrew shelter in place on the aircraft. The sirens disappear and a new noise is heard. A pair of fighter jets and helicopters take to the sky. We all agree, someone is about to have a bad day.

More than an hour passes before the last pallet is finally loaded.

The sun is down and the sky is dark. Red lights illuminate the cargo area of the plane.

In preparation for the last drop of the mission, the lights dim. Looking through the viewfinder of my camera is a daunting task as visibility is close to nonexistent. We’re effectively an invisible flying Wal-Mart under the night sky. In a matter of 10 seconds, the doors open, the MREs blast out the door and we are on our way home.

Fifteen hours for about 15 seconds of actual action. Action that will keep my brothers and sisters fed, and their vehicles working.

The men and women of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron from Joint Base Charleston are game changers. They allow coalition forces to sustain operations in some of the most austere locations on Earth. They are force multipliers.

Video: Airlift supports warfighter

Photo: (Top) Air Force Staff Sgt. Stephen Adams, an 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster, observes 36,500 pounds of JP-8 fuel fly out the back of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft over Afghanistan July 8, 2011. The C-17 dropped more than 121,000 pounds of food and fuel during a 15-hour mission. Supplies were dropped to U.S. and coalition troops. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri) (Bottom) Staff Sgt. Adams releases 48,000 pounds of Meals, Ready to Eat out of the C-17 on July 8, 2011 over Afghanistan during the concealment of the night sky. The crews also airdropped more than 73,000 pounds of JP-8 fuel during their mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri)