Photo By Randall Burlingame | Chief Master Sergeant Lorene Kitzmiller, Air National Guard First Sergeant career...... read more read more
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Over 250 Airmen attended the Technical Sergeants Involved and Mentoring Enlisted Airmen Workshop from Dec. 9 to 14, 2018, in Southbridge, Massachusetts.
Created by Chief Master Sgt. Richard MacDonald, Massachusetts Air National Guard command chief, the TIME workshop targets noncommissioned officers in the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and active duty Air Force. Airmen from eight different states attended this year and it has been held biannually since 2012.
The Airmen received training from speakers including Lieutenant General L. Scott Rice, Air National Guard director, Chief Master Sgt. Lorene Kitzmiller, Air National Guard First Sergeant career field functional manager, Christopher Coyne, Jackie Woodside, and Ken Weichert.
Speakers spent time discussing things like the power of coaching, transitional leadership, resiliency and self discipline and the state of the Air National Guard. These lessons will serve as tools for the NCOs to use to become better leaders.
“This has actually taught me more on how to handle relationships and work with people that are not necessarily from my generation,” said Tech. Sgt. Tim Lyons, 109th Airlift Wing recruiter. “This allows me to connect with them better and understand what they want.”
Lyons traveled almost two hours to attend the training and said the trip was well worth it as he now has an abundance of information to use and share with others.
“It’s life changing,” said Lyons. “I’m motivated to go back and instill this information of leadership styles and motivation with other people, and help make the unit a better place to be and work.”
Responses like this are what make it all worth it, said MacDonald.
“It’s amazing,” said MacDonald. “I’ve even had people crying while talking to me, saying how much of an impact it made in their life personally. You can’t fake that. That to me was validating.”
MacDonald said people that previously attended TIME workshops still reach out to him to let him know how the skills they learned have helped them progress personally and professionally.
“A lot of it has to do with that week we spent together,” said MacDonald. “It changed the way they thought. They made differences in their own lives and were able to work out of their comfort zones.”
Technical Sergeant Sharon Mekal, 439th Airlift Wing aero repair technician, expressed her gratitude to MacDonald and the Air National Guard for allowing members of the Air Force Reserve to attend. The experience proved to be very valuable to her, she said.
“I’ve hands down received more opportunities for growth from this conference than I have in a long while,” said Mekel. “I feel like this has given me a map of how to go forward for my own personal career.”
MacDonald is retiring in March and said he hopes somebody steps up to keep the workshop going into the future.
“I’m hoping this continues,” said MacDonald. “I’m willing to sacrifice my time to help that happen, even as a retired person.”
| Date Taken: | 12.14.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.14.2018 18:13 |
| Story ID: | 303745 |
| Location: | SOUTHBRIDGE, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 628 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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