Sergeant develops Airmen, self

TRAVIS AFB, CA, UNITED STATES

05.06.2016

Story by Senior Airman Amber Carter 

60th Air Mobility Wing

Training is an important part of growing and developing Airmen.

For Tech. Sgt. John Foran, 60th Dental Squadron unit training manager, it provides continuity, which is important in an environment where changes of command, permanent changes of station and deployments bring new people in on a regular basis.

"Every person in the Air Force has the responsibility of training their replacement," Foran said. "Whether you are a four-year enlistee or a four-star general, our time in the service means very little if there is no one who can carry it on when you retire. The training program is on the forefront of this by ensuring our supervisors have the tools to train their replacements."

Another area Foran oversees is the patient safety program.

"I'm most proud of our patient safety practices," he said. "It's great that we have active members at every level of responsibility to put actions in place to ensure our patients receive the best and safest treatment we can provide."

Foran, who has been at Travis Air Force Base, California, for just over a year and been in the Air Force for nine years, joined to see the world and to gain an education.

"I recently met all the requirements for my bachelors," he said. "It has taken a very long time to finish these classes, but somehow I managed to do it solely on tuition assistance so I can pass my GI Bill to my family."

In his pursuit of continual growth and development, Foran looks forward to new experiences while serving.

"I would love to try out a special duty as a courier or embassy liaison, take an assignment in PACAF to see that part of the world, come back to the northwest to retire, then open up a small record store," he said. "I love collecting records and finding weird or obscure (albums) I haven't heard before. It's a cliché hobby, but I enjoy it."

Foran helps other Airmen develop the same way his leadership has encouraged him.

"My favorite part of my job is being afforded the ability to see how things operate; I have never been tied to strictly just my duty title's role," he said. "My leadership throughout my career has offered me many opportunities to see how Airmen operate in the big picture and that has made my time in the USAF that much more fulfilling."

• Date Taken: 05.06.2016
• Date Posted: 05.06.2016 13:49
• Story ID: 197543
• Location: TRAVIS AFB, CA, US