The United States Air Force (USAF) is composed of a diverse workforce. Its men and women come from all walks of life and their contributions make the USAF the world’s premier fighting force. I’m a proud member of this dedicated team of professionals. My Air Force story is, but one out of thousands of others illustrating the diverse backgrounds and values our Airmen bring to our force, the experiences that shape our understanding of the profession of arms, and the contributions we make to the Air Force’s mission. The driving force behind the Air Force’s success story is the caliber and diverse background and values of its Airmen. Their diversity and values provide a cadre of well rounded Airmen capable of meeting the challenges of …show more content…
Driven on becoming a USAF officer, I embarked on a four year long journey which saw me fail at achieving a commission as a civilian, but persevere and overcome adversity to eventually earn a commission as an enlisted Airman. Having earned my enlisted stripes and now wearing these bars on my collar has been a rewarding experience that I would not trade for anything. Along this journey, I’ve met some great leaders who have made my success their priority. Their devotion to duty and willingness to mentor their people inspired and shaped my leadership style. Likewise, my deployments to both Afghanistan (2008) and Iraq (2009) were timely career broadening experiences that helped me grow as a leader. While both deployments allowed me to support our sister services and coalition partners, my experience at Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq was the most rewarding. As the J1, Director of Personnel, for Joint Contracting Command-Iraq/Afghanistan (JCC-I/A), I was able to distinguishably serve and honor the three hundred and twenty-five great men and women of JCC-I/A. I took pride in working their personnel issues so they could in turn focus on getting the war fighters the tools they needed for the fight. Additionally, this opportunity also provided me with a solid understanding of wartime acquisition and a glance at the training challenges facing our Air Force and sister services. Whether it was
It can be argued that General Henry “Hap” Arnold is the father of the United States Air Force. His experiences, wisdom, and foresight are what made him, in every way, a visionary leader. Due to his efforts developing air mindedness during the first part of the 20th century, he shaped what is today the greatest Air Force on the planet. I will begin by explaining his effective use of transformational leadership and the impact it has on the development of airpower. Then I will explain how his acceptance of diversity impacted the war effort during WWII and the future of the United States Air Force. First, we must know what shaped him into the leader he eventually became.
No matter how bothersome it was when my parents got on my back for not saying “Yes ma'am” or “No sir,” I now realize they were teaching me responsibility, integrity, respect, and leadership.When I pinned my mother's rank of Master Sergeant to her shoulder it instilled a sense of pride in my family. We earned that insignia alongside her through all of our sacrifices over the years. My inclination towards engineering and flying is reflective of the dedication and pride my family has set before me. Between my mother who would arrive home late due to her six-hour commute and my cousin who depended on my family while his parents served in Afghanistan, I learned what it meant to be selfless. These members of my family, these role models, show me every day what it means to put service before self. These are the footsteps I aspire to follow
The U.S. Air Force carries itself with pride and dignity; a history that officially began in 1947 – one that has brought with it a legacy of valor, sacrifice and bravery that continues to the present day.
“We are more than a group of teenagers.We are more than just a program.We are a family, and we stick together” (-K.G). The Royal Canadian air cadets are a national program for both male and females of the age of 12-19. This program is administered by the Canadian forces and is funded through the department of national defense. The first squadron established was in 1941 to train young men for duties during world war lΙ.In this essay I will be talking about the three best things about air cadets, drill, band, and learning new skills. I believe that these three things are the best things in Air Cadets because they teach you very valuable lessons.
Hey Nate, Congratulations on recently finishing up with the Air force. Where is Holloman, New Mexico AFB exactly; never heard of that particular post? I actually grew up not to far from White Sands Missile Range, and drilled out of Kirkland AFB for a couple years. How does the reality feel acclimating back to civilian life? I could not handle the process myself. After leaving active duty I crawled back to the reserves a few months later. What is your business concentration in? I too am eight classes away from my business degree in marketing, then go straight to my masters program.
Airman Gray didn’t sacrifice his life raiding the beaches of Normandy or on a battlefield in the jungles of Vietnam; however, he did fight for rights and freedoms of Americans everywhere. He was a dedicated Air Force Security Policeman committed to serving his country. Airman Gray’s legacy provided the 3rd Security Police with the tools to design a superior training program that would assure more American lives were not lost over petty
The culture of a military organization is based on that organization’s history and values. Inside of the broader context of the military subcultures exist in the form of the Services and occupational specialties. Each of these cultures has their own social status and individual identity that determine what they value and accept. A clear example of this is the USAF’s response to remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) within its pilot-centric culture. Because of the power of culture, innovation is not simply a process of adopting a capability or implementing a change, it is altering the very fabric of culture the pervades military
This has presented a clear message of what the Air Force expects out of the Universities, while challenging each and every Air Force Detachment to improve upon this goal and add to its service ability. This is where I tended see the most influential advantages of an ROTC cadet over a non-ROTC cadet. ROTC cadets are continually challenged to improve upon their mistakes while striving to overcome and surpass the goals of the Air Force. Now comparing this to a non-ROTC university student begins shows a clear and message, college students need to set goals and have others to compete against to equal the excellence of a ROTC cadet. Non-ROTC cadets that usually experience this level of success are made up of sports groups and student governments, where competition is readily present. Furthermore, this gives ROTC a reason to exist within universities in America. ROTC was originally created to supply the United States Armed Forces with the leadership it needed during World War Two, and now helps fill the empty slots that an expanding military needs. Without the positive effects that ROTC has had on everyday individuals, the program most likely would have been discontinued during the Clinton administration. All-in-all ROTC has proved its success through its goals and its ability to
The highlight of NATCON was hearing the variety of speakers tell us about their experiences, as well as giving us words of wisdom on how to make our own legacies. The AFA National President, General Larry Spencer said, “the Air Force needs you to be an innovative thinker”, which still resonates with me today. The tasks thrown our way in AFROTC usually have several ways it could be accomplished; therefore, we should strive to find the most effective
To begin . As a young child , growing up in Abilene ,Texas. Having no sense of how
“The Air Force’s high altitude asset maintenance professionals, providing decision advantage and combat power worldwide to meet the nation’s call.”
There are so many different attributes and experiences people bring to the United States Air Force Academy. Although what makes me unique is what I bring which includes: meticulous habits, the ability to see beyond the horizon, problem solving, life experiences in leadership, and energy to the student body. My attention to detail is strong. Whether, finishing up my PowerPoint presentation for class, or conducting a pre-flight in a Cessna 172, I am assiduous in my preparation, trapping and eliminating threats, and reducing the potential for error. In addition, Seeing beyond the horizon, I can prepare now with the luxury of time that might not be available later. My Flight Instructor, Col Glen Whicker (USAF Ret.) pounded into my head, “ Always
By using a combination of both ethos and pathos, “New Frontiers” starts by showing past accomplishments the Air Force has made and using General Mark Welsh III to strengthen the message and the concept. General Mark Welsh III proceeds to have the audience visualize itself achieving these feats, using a strong emotional appeal to
Similar to a mentoring relationship, the foundation of deliberately developing juniors is based on trust, honesty, and openness. Having served in two special duties, I find that sharing my personal story and experiences in those assignments is extremely beneficial. These experiences allow me to openly discuss the full array of challenges from specific job challenges to effects on family life. Additionally, I like to share the benefits I gained from serving in these positions ranging from skillsets to pride while helping a subordinate further internalize Service Before self and the needs of the Air Force. This experience-sharing is an excellent opportunity to use the Idealized Influence aspect of transformational leadership while providing Inspirational Motivation.
Within the Defense Support Program, key program cultures are ingrained. Both, the Air Force and DeTech, share the “common imperative for mission success” (Milosevic, Patanakul, & Srivannaboon, 2010, para. 8). The Air Force