Linebacker of the Week: Staff Sgt. Lucas Tate

Photo By Senior Airman Emily Saxton | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Lucas Tate, unit training manager assigned to the 36th Contingency Response Squadron, works at his desk at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 14, 2023. The Team Andersen Linebacker of the Week recognizes outstanding enlisted, officer, civilian and total force personnel who have had an impact on achieving Team Andersen’s mission, vision and priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emily Saxton)  

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM

06.21.2023

Story by Airman 1st Class Emily Saxton 

36th Wing

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam – U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Lucas Tate, unit training manager assigned to the 36th Contingency Response Squadron, was recognized as the 36th Wing’s Team Andersen Linebacker of the Week, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 14, 2023.

The Team Andersen Linebacker of the Week recognizes outstanding enlisted, officer, civilian and total force personnel who have had an impact on achieving Team Andersen’s mission, vision and priorities.

As a unit training manager, Tate monitors and schedules all training requirements for the squadrons 62 members. He coordinates with the contingency response functional manager at Pacific Air Forces’ Headquarters to schedule roughly 100 prerequisite classes a year required by all inbound members. Additionally, Tate tracks and briefs the commander on status of training for all members in upgrade training.

“As a training manager, I like talking to all of our new inbounds to get them excited about Guam and our mission,” said Tate.

Tate steered a project of loading 37 different career field education and training plans for nine different work centers into MyTraining. His efforts enabled the squadron to track and maintain their training records. He works to schedule en route temporary duty requirements for contingency response training for inbound members. He has often worked hard to find solutions when classes are full to ensure members receive qualifications and meet Air Force Instruction requirements when they arrive.

Tate is responsible for scheduling contingency response positional requirement and milestone qualification courses. He has collaborated with the U.S. Navy logistics management specialist to organize a Joint Mission Planners course and Joint Humanitarian Operations course. Both of these classes are requirements to become a contingency response team chief.

“As long as I can inspire at least one person to do what you’re supposed to do, I feel like I’m contributing to the future,” said Tate.

The term Linebacker is rooted deep within Team Andersen’s history. Operation Linebacker II took place on Dec. 18, 1972, and was the largest number of heavy bomber strikes launched by the U.S. Air Force since the end of World War II. During the operation, B-52s from Andersen flew round-the-clock bombing missions over North Vietnam to destroy major targets in Hanoi and Haiphong in an effort to bring the Democratic Republic of Vietnam back to negotiations.

The recipient will have the opportunity to sign a “Linebacker” football jersey that will be displayed in the Wing Headquarters building.

Way to go, Tate!

• Date Taken: 06.21.2023
• Date Posted: 06.20.2023 19:24
• Story ID: 447576
• Location: ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GU