Photo By Bradley Clark | Then Staff Sgt. Briana Nelson instructs members of the 908th Airlift Wing's...... read more read more
When 2nd Lt. Briana Nelson is not busy with her current job as a 908th Operational Support Squadron intelligence officer, she is assisting Tech. Sgt. Trayunne Lucas, Development and Training Flight chief, with training the soon-to-be-Airmen of the 908th’s DTF program.
Assisting the DTF program is one of the many ways that Nelson is always trying to inspire leadership and discipline in others by demonstrating it first. She has had many influencers in her life, so she tries to give back by being the mentor that others need as well.
Her reasoning for acting like this is because she was first influenced by how her father, a Marine and then Airman, carried himself.
“He’s just always so calm,” said Nelson. “We were be in the middle of an accident and he was like OnStar before OnStar was invented.”
Her father being in the service was another large reason for wanting to join the military, but she wanted to go to college first.
The Montgomery-native, actually born on Maxwell AFB, graduated from Auburn University with her Psychology degree and then enlisted in the Air Force July 29, 2011.
Nelson’s first job in the Air Force was as a medical technician at the 908th Aeromedical Staging Squadron.
After a couple of years as a medical technician, she was able to make Staff Sergeant. She then went on to be selected as the assistant flight chief for the DTF program. After seven months she was selected as the primary training flight chief.
Nelson was proud to have been with the DTF program and to have had an impact on so many that were taking their first steps into becoming Airmen, she said.
“I observed her with the trainees and it was clear that she was doing an awesome job,” said Col. Craig Drescher, the 908th Airlift Wing commander.
After being the DTF flight chief for years, Nelson was still driven to accomplish more.
“To whom much is given, much is required,” she said, “I felt like I would have a bigger impact the more I was willing to grow in the Air Force by becoming an officer.”
The DTF Flight Chief position was only available for three years but if she became an officer then she could stay for as long as she wished.
“You can have three years of impact or you can have 20 years of impact,” she said.
Thus, began her journey on trying to commission and complete Officer Training School at Maxwell.
She applied for OTS in July 2016, was selected September 2016 and left home for OTS in March 2019.
The main quality that stood out to Nelson about OTS was the shared comradery between others.
“There were 312 people in my whole class and 60 were female,” said Nelson. “With that scarcity of females we really stuck together and pushed each other to get to the finish line. With there being so few, you really want to see every female beside you succeed.”
Having the other female cadets encouraging each other made it easier for her to push towards graduation day, she said.
After months of being away from her family, they were right there to cheer her on at her graduation on May 23. Her son, Grayson, had come to her graduation with a giant poster that had a timeline on it that listed back to when she graduated college, to having him, to joining the Air Force and then her commissioning day, she said.
“He even made sure that when we got home that I had a surprise party,” said Nelson. “He made sure that it was really special for me.”
Nelson not being around for two months was a big adjustment for Grayson, but he stayed strong. Because of how much her son did to support her goals she does what she can to celebrate him in return, she said.
Drescher recalled when he first asked Nelson about her family. He remembers how important she said that family is to her, especially her son.
“She calls him her ‘why,’” he said.
Having her son as another one of her main influencers, along with her father and countless others, is why Nelson maintains her new leadership position by continuing inspiring others to aspire for more.
This dedication to leading others is why Nelson has returned to the DTF program to assist Lucas in preparing these new recruits for Basic Military Training, she said.
She hopes that her story of transitioning from enlisted to officer will be a great example to lead others down the same path.
Having others pave the way makes goals seem much more realistic, said Nelson.
“In order to see yourself somewhere, you need to see someone else be able to obtain it,” she said.
She believes that it is important for others to take steps to becoming officers in order to lead others, even if it seems intimidating.
“Somebody has to make the sacrifice,” said Nelson. “If not you, then who?”
Nelson’s opinion on leadership has not changed since she first felt inspired to enlist and this is why she does not feel a big difference between being an officer and enlisted.
“If you’re a leader, you’re always a leader, no matter what your rank is,” said Nelson.
Part of being a leader is also being a mentor, she said.
Having others mentor her since she was young and continuing to have people still be her motivators to this day is why she believes it is necessary for her to choose to mentor. She hopes that her decision to be that cornerstone of instruction for others will inspire individuals to be driven to want to mentor others as well.
“She said that when she came back, one of her goals was going to be to help mentor people through this long process that she went through of getting selected and earning her commission,” said Drescher. “I have no doubt that she is doing that.”
Nelson’s ability to show consistent mentorship, loyalty and care towards others is why they know that she will always look after them.
“They know I’ll stand by them,” said Nelson.
The 908th and the Air Force are greatly benefited by having leaders like Nelson who are willing to go through trials to become an officer. Her devotion to inspiring mentorship in others is vital in cultivating a community of servant-leadership here at the 908th.
| Date Taken: | 01.01.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2020 11:49 |
| Story ID: | 374103 |
| Location: | MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA, US |
| Hometown: | MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 908th Officer Dedicated to Building Legacy of Mentorship, by TSgt Shelby Thurman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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