Subscribe
An Airman answers his phone half dazed from sleep, not prepared to hear he has 15 minutes to report to the 33rd Fighter Wing headquarters building to attend a promotion ceremony. Mind racing, he hurries to the ceremony unsure what is going on.
At the ceremony U.S. Navy Cmdr. Rex Burkett, 33rd Maintenance Squadron commander, calls the Airman to the stage and tells him as his punishment for being late he must read an email, in a commanding voice, to the room. The email reads:
“Commander Burkett, congratulations Airman Smith has earned an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy preparatory school --,” the crowd erupts into cheers, silencing the shocked Airman.
Thanks to proactive leadership and the Leaders Encouraging Airman Development program, Airman 1st Class Griffin Smith, 33rd Maintenance Squadron aircraft fuels system repairman apprentice, will report to the academy July 17, 2016 to begin his journey to commission as an officer.
The LEAD program, initiated by Gen. Ronald Fogleman in 1995, allows unit commanders to select Airmen they identify as having officer potential for the commissioning program. There are 170 appointments available for the academy to active and reserve Airmen.
Tech. Sgt. Martin Miller, 33rd MXS fuels system craftsman, says Smith was selected for the academy because of his dedication to others and his sense of service before self.
“From day one he came in and was ready to learn and improve every day,” Miller said. “With [his] volunteering and education, [he has] a lot of experience leading multiple groups of people from different age groups. He's already shown that he’s not afraid to make decisions as long as he knows it's the right decision.”
Smith’s future ambitions were first brought to light when he presented a three slide power point to introduce himself to his new squadron. These slides outlined who the he is, his current path and future goals.
According to 1st Lt. Nicolas Nadeau, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron accessories flight commander, the power point gives higher leadership the opportunity to meet new Airmen and learn what they care about. By doing this, leadership is able to help set them up for success.
“One of the goals I listed was to further my education [and] possibly get into the Air Force Academy,” said Smith. “My leadership encouraged me to peruse that [goal] so I started my application. From there I just kept going and building everything I needed until I finished my application and in the end it worked out great.”
Although the fuel specialist has yet to pick his major, he knows as an officer he would like to focus on making communication between officers and enlisted personnel more efficient.
“I'm looking to get to the bottom of the main issues that affect our enlisted personnel,” Smith said. “Through my own experiences [I’ve] seen the hardships that come with the job of being enlisted. Communication between the lower and higher rankings can be slow at times for unknown reasons. I plan on addressing these issues with a hands on manner in an effort to make the Air Force a faster and well-oiled machine.”
Even if he is nervous about going to the academy, Smith said he is ultimately excited to go back to a learning environment at one of the best institutions in the country.
“This is a huge opportunity for me and I wouldn't [have applied] if I wasn't trying to be the best I could be,” Smith said. “As an officer I will be able to use the skills I have and [those] I'm going to learn to help the Air Force.”
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2016 16:19 |
| Story ID: | 200410 |
| Location: | EGLIN AFB, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 33rd FW Airman will LEAD thanks to commissioning program, by TSgt Andrea Posey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT