Photo By Scott Sturkol | Senior Airman Roberto Villalobos and Master Sgt. David Wilcox, both with the 380th...... read more read more
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SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Imagine being told the following: "Listen to your people. Communicate with them and be perceptive to their needs."
Who do you think said it? It actually isn't from a person -- it's from Air Force Pamphlet 36-2241, otherwise known as the Air Force Professional Development Guide, or PDG. The quoted portion comes from the leadership section of the PDG about the importance for leaders and supervisors to "be sensitive" when working with their Airmen and in being a leader.
The section further states, "Learn to recognize problems and seek out ideas. Be innovative. Recognize that effective communication involves shared perceptions. Don't be afraid to empathize when necessary. Listen, listen, and listen!"
Words like "listen" and "communicate" are a common theme throughout the PDG for numerous reasons, but mostly to remind those current and future NCOs who are and will be first-line supervisors of their responsibilities, the PDG shows.
The words of the PDG also relate to what is found in Air Mobility Command's Comprehensive Airman Fitness, or CAF, culture. CAF invests "in readiness of the force and quality of life for our Airmen, family members and civilians," and, "focuses on maximizing the development potential of our Airmen and their families," according to a December 2010 AMC talking paper.
It is particularly in the "development potential," where the talking paper shows first-line supervisors are key in helping build the CAF culture and more "resilient" airman. CAF, the paper states, helps "to reduce self-defeating behaviors, feelings of hopelessness and despair...and yield stronger, healthier, happier, more resilient Airmen and families who are better equipped to manage the rigors of 21st century military life."
From a first sergeant's point of view
In September 2007, Senior Master Sgt. Charlton D. McFadden, a first sergeant with the 11th Mission Support Squadron at then-Bolling Air Force Base, D.C., wrote a commentary about supervision for Air Force News. In her experience, she compared first-line supervisors with first sergeants.
"Just stop and think about this statement for a second," McFadden wrote. "What is the difference between an involved first-line supervisor and a first sergeant? Both can make referrals to any base agencies -- life skills, alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment, chaplain, area defense counsel, family support and family advocacy to mention a few. However, most first-line supervisors are reluctant to make that call.
"I hear excuses from supervisors like, 'I don't want to get that involved in their personal life,' or 'I have other airmen to worry about. Isn't that your job shirt?' The answer to that question is yes and no," McFadden stated. "Who is that first sergeant going to go to for information on the well-being of one of the airmen in his squadron? The first-line supervisor. They are in the best position to observe their airmen daily and to note any changes in behavior."
First-line supervisors make the difference
The PDG states that first-line supervisors, when it comes to "taking care of airmen and their families," can make the biggest difference when combining their leadership with their supervisory responsibilities.
"Supervision and leadership go hand-in-hand in the process of managing people and resources," the PDG states. "Supervisors must be responsible for their subordinates' actions and must evaluate them accordingly. On the other hand, a leader demonstrates leadership by example to include the display of integrity, honesty, fairness and concern for the health and welfare of subordinates."
Supervisors also, according to an article by Col. Patrick A. McClelland, 31st Fighter Wing vice commander at Aviano Air Base, Italy, make a difference in the morale of an "entire unit."
"Why is morale remarkably better in some units than others? Why can morale be remarkably low regardless of superb duty location? The answer is simple ... supervisors," McClelland wrote. "In organizations with exceptional morale, you will find supervisors who have eagerly accepted their responsibilities and recognize their role in the health of the unit. In organizations with low morale, you will find supervisors who are out for themselves, always pessimistic and continually negative."
The CAF culture, officials said, can better help first-line supervisors fulfill their roles in the well-being of airmen across the Air Force, officials said. In CAF, there are four pillars of fitness - physical, social, mental and spiritual - as well as five "Cs" -- caring, committing, connecting, communicating and celebrating.
By "embracing" CAF, "our Airmen and their families will help to build a sense of belonging in our community, which in turn leads to well being, life balance, and resiliency for all," the CAF talking paper states.
Airmen want to connect; supervisors should 'act now'
Capt. Gregory Brunson, chaplain on Joint Base Charleston, S.C., wrote in a July 2010 commentary that he is glad to see a culture such as CAF continue to build, and that airmen are hungry for "connecting" like the CAF culture shows.
"What I like about Comprehensive Airman Fitness is that it recognizes the need for a cultural change, a total shift in the way we think and act," Brunson wrote. "We need to connect with each other and build a more resilient Air Force community that can stand up to the challenges we're facing. Those stressors are real -- high operations tempo, continued downsizing, deployments and the economy can take a toll on us."
"As a chaplain, I visit with airmen who are dealing with real stress but don't always have the resources to lean upon," Brunson wrote. "They are hungry for connection. They want to be closer to their friends and family and are missing out on the greatest support system that's available. They want deeper relationships."
As Brunson's experience shows, many airmen are looking to connect to deal with the stresses of today's military. However, whether or not that hunger for connection is tied to suicides that are taking place in the Air Force, the service's enlisted leader wants supervisors to step up and pay attention even more.
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy specifically noted in his October 2010 message, entitled, "Even one suicide is too many," that supervisors at every level "must act now."
"Get to know your airmen better and understand their personal and professional challenges," Roy said in his message. "This is not a time to sit idle and think this won't happen in your unit. No one is immune. Suicides range the spectrum of ages, locations, MAJCOMs and career fields. The two most common factors we've seen are problems with relationships and finances.
"We need to be good wingmen for others and also need to develop and maintain trusted relationships and friendships where we can talk openly and honestly about things happening in our own lives. We need to feel comfortable exchanging ideas, views and experiences with those who are closest to us. There is always someone available for you," Chief Roy said.
(Editor's note: This is the fourth in a series of 24 stories for 2011 by Air Mobility Command Public Affairs highlighting the Comprehensive Airman Fitness culture through a "commitment of caring.")
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2011 09:53 |
| Story ID: | 66214 |
| Location: | SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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