“I have been in the service for 26 years with 11 being in the Army,” said Roberts. “I began as enlisted Army military police and then became a drill sergeant. Once I reached sergeant first class, I was selected for Officer Candidate School where I became an Army military police officer.”
As the opportunities arose in Roberts’ career to progress herself and her leadership, she took full advantage of them. She learned from her enlisted experience and her fellow brothers and sisters in arms and stored that knowledge knowing it would be beneficial to have as an officer in the future, Roberts said.
After a couple years of soaking up the experience as an officer, Roberts met her future husband. He was in the Air Force and Roberts had heard great things of the Air Force so she decided to transfer between the two services.
“I did what is known as an inter-service transfer,” said Roberts. “There was no break in service – one day I was in the Army and the next day I was in the Air Force. It took me awhile to handle the learning curve, but I have been lucky enough and blessed enough that in my entire experience in the Air Force, I have had some great leaders.”
Looking back, Roberts said transitioning to the Air Force was incredibly beneficial to her. She gained valuable mentorship and her leadership style, though already developed, became more refined.
“There is no magic to it,” said Roberts. “Being enlisted for a very long time, I have learned to put my Airmen first. I feel personally responsible for their welfare, safety and training. Their loved ones entrust with me with their safety and I really take that to heart. My Airmen are my heartbeat, so I believe that if you love and care for your people, the mission will take care of itself.”
Roberts said that on her bad days, she heads to the gates to stand with, talk and check on her Airmen. She gets a revitalized sense of her duties and her responsibilities when she sees her defenders working long hours in the heat and cold with smiles on their face.
“She really makes it a point to let you know she is there for you,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Anderson, 21st SFS specialist. “She is one of the most supportive leaders I have experienced in my six years of being in the Air Force. I have been at the gate and she will come up to me and take my scanner from me and make sure I am doing well. She is a mother figure to all of us in the squadron and we never want to do anything to disappoint her.”
It is with that style, Roberts lead the 21st SFS to multiple wins in the Air Force Space Command medium-sized SFS category but, she is quick to give credit to her Airmen and her senior NCOs for leading the way. The success the squadron has is a direct result of how well she and her team work together, said Roberts.
With her teams and her career field being predominantly male, Roberts’ leadership style has never succumbed to any negative criticism because of her gender.
“I have been in a male-dominated career field for so long that I overlook a lot of things in that regarding my gender,” said Roberts. “In all honesty, I think the only time my gender really defines me is that my troops call me ‘Mama Bear’ because my troops know that if anyone messes with them, I’ll break out the claws and have their back.”
Leaving nothing to excuses, Roberts embraces herself and her gender but believes that when she dons her sage-green Airman Battle Uniform, she is an Airman like everyone else she serves alongside fighting the same fight.
“As a female, I have seen other females who are pilots, cops and firemen – I have seen some phenomenal females in action. I have always believed that if you work hard and take care of your people, you will get every opportunity that you are supposed to get and the Air Force has done a great job at leveling the playing field for everyone. Ever since I’ve been blue, I’ve been blessed.”
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 12.29.2016 11:32 |
| Story ID: | 218897 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Don’t mess with mama bear, by TSgt Dennis Hoffman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT