Photo By Staff Sgt. Justin Wynn | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman James Neal, a civil engineer journeyman with the 773d...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska--The U.S. Air Force is full of talented Airmen with skills outside their specialty codes. However, it can be challenging to find time for one’s passions.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman James Neal, a civil engineer journeyman with the 773d Civil Engineering Squadron, never imagined his artistic skills would be coveted in the military.
His father kindled Neal’s passion for art at an early age. Through the years, Neal continued to feed his burning desire to master his craft, leading him to pursue a bachelor’s degree from Delaware State University’s Art Studio program. Upon graduation, Neal searched for jobs but continued to hit roadblocks as potential employers would tell him they were looking for candidates with more experience.
“I felt like my art was not being looked at for what it was, and instead, I kept getting the runaround,” Neal said. “They would tell me I needed more experience, but they didn’t want to take a chance on me and help me get that experience.”
After a while of unsuccessful job hunting, Neal decided to join the Air Force. At the time, he believed he would have to put his art on hold, focusing more on his Air Force Specialty Code, but Neal never imagined the opportunities that would arise for him as an artist on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
In a briefing, Neal learned about the innovation lab on JBER and a group of Airmen leading the charge on JBER for innovation called Arctic Spark. He was astonished he hadn’t heard of the lab sooner and was excited to get involved. Neal reached out to U.S. Air Force Capt. Jamey Shuls, chief executive officer of Arctic Spark, to discuss joining the innovation team as an artist.
During their meeting, Neal presented Shuls with his body of work. Shuls was struck by Neal’s body of work and could sense his burning passion for art. He not only wanted Airmen like Neal to utilize the space, but he knew his talents were going to be desired.
“Airmen like Neal are dynamic; his passion combined with his skill set is exactly what we needed,” said Shuls. “He made our team better!
Neal’s first project came soon after that meeting to redesign the Arctic Spark logo. Neal spent two months researching, drafting, and revising a logo that would become the new face of Arctic Spark. Right after that project, the motions were already being set for Neal’s next commission, designing an occupational patch for the 3rd Maintenance Group. U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Offenbacker, chief innovation officer of Arctic Spark, coordinated Neal with the 3rd MXG commander.
“Graphics and creative projects have always been in high demand, and with Neal on the team, we can finally support these requests,” said Offenbacker. “I knew Neal would be able to deliver, and he would produce a product that would reflect well on the innovation team.”
Word has spread across JBER about Neal’s artistic abilities, and his services are always in high demand. Although it’s made him busier, Neal is exhilarated by the response to his work.
“When I joined the Air Force, I accepted the fact that I would have to put my art on the wayside,” said Neal. “I never imagined this kind of response; I feel like people finally appreciate my art for what it is versus what it can do for them.”
While Neal is happy with the projects and recognition coming, his ultimate goal is to build a community of artists from all disciplines. As a group under the innovation lab, the creative team would be able to divvy up projects and give different artists opportunities to leave their mark on base.
| Date Taken: | 06.23.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2021 14:29 |
| Story ID: | 400163 |
| Location: | JBER, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Paving His Way, by SSgt Justin Wynn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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