Photo By Turner Dilley | U.S. military service is ingrained in Senior Master Sgt. Janna R. Hiett’s DNA. She...... read more read more
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U.S. military service is ingrained in Senior Master Sgt. Janna R. Hiett’s DNA. While it wasn’t her initial pursuit, it’s where she ultimately found her calling – to carry on the legacy of her family in uniform and make them and her nation proud.
Hiett’s path to military service began a year into college when she recognized that something was missing. Seeking more structure and looking for a way to excel in her studies, she turned to what she knew drove purpose for many of those around her. Hiett’s family has predominantly Navy roots, though one grandfather served in the Marine Corps, and another in the Air Force. Thus, she narrowed in on joining either the Navy or Air Force.
She met with both a Navy and an Air Force recruiter on the same day, but it was the first impression the Air Force recruiter made on her that day that launched Hiett’s now 23-year distinguished Air Force career. She was drawn by the way the recruiter presented himself and the way he represented the Air Force as a whole. “I always tell people first impressions truly matter because I couldn't tell you what awards my recruiter had ever won; I couldn't tell you how fast he promoted. But the impression he made that day is really what compelled me to want to join the Air Force,” Hiett said.
Eager to secure the earliest ship date for basic training, Hiett “rolled the dice” by enlisting in the Air Force as open general. With an eventual assignment to civil engineering, a renewed family legacy of service and leadership was born. “I didn’t know anything about civil engineering when I first got to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, to start my technical training,” she admitted. “But I quickly learned that CE is truly the heart of the Air Force – that nothing gets done without our civil engineers.” Looking back on her unconventional journey, Hiett remarked, “I didn’t find my way into CE. CE found me, and I feel very lucky that it did.”
From 2011 to 2014, she had the chance to return to the same Emergency Management Technical School at Fort Leonard Wood where she first got her start – this time as an instructor. Hiett taught the three-level course for emergency managers, which she said has proven to be the most rewarding part of her service tenure. “I’ve gotten the opportunity to train a lot of Airmen and see them grow and flourish in their careers,” Hiett shared. In fact, she just had her first student make senior master sergeant, which “has been incredible.” “It’s very humbling to be a part of anyone's career, big or small, but to see them really excel throughout their career is truly rewarding.”
For the past three years, Hiett has served in an integral role as superintendent of the Protection Services Division at Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Detachment 4 based out of Ramstein Air Base, Germany. She is responsible for ensuring optimal readiness for all Security Forces, Emergency Management, Fire and Emergency Services, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Air Force Specialty Codes for U.S. Air Forces in Europe. All equipment management, planning and orchestration of specialty training, and operational organization to enable these four AFSCs to achieve their missions falls on her and her team’s shoulders. Reflecting on how she stays motivated and focused on success in a high-pressure role, Hiett emphasized, “AFIMSC has a motto, ‘Your success is our mission,’ and I really take that to heart knowing that if we don’t get our Airmen the things they need, then they can’t effectively do their jobs.”
In her current capacity, she also works closely with the NATO Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense Training and Education Panel, coordinating alongside 19 different NATO partners to plan and execute large-scale CBRN readiness and response exercises across Europe. The last exercise she had a hand in brought together 535 military personnel from 19 nations in Belgium to strengthen interoperability, joint CBRN capabilities, and preparedness. “We all do things a little differently, but when we come together and execute the missions, it’s really incredible to see how we become one team very quickly for mission success,” Hiett said.
Hiett was recently recognized for her exemplary dedication, strong leadership, and outstanding performance as the enlisted recipient of the 2024 Maj. Gen. William D. Gilbert Award – presented as part of the annual, enterprise-wide Air Force Civil Engineer Awards program. Earning the award and through it, being able to represent the critical work of the emergency management career field, was a validating honor, she noted. “My career field, emergency management, is not considered one of the traditional CE career fields, so to win an award at the entire CE Enterprise staff officer level, I was incredibly honored,” acknowledged Hiett. “I know that our work isn't viewed as traditional civil engineer work, but the work that we do on staff is vitally important to achieving our collective CE mission.”
Despite their day-to-day work not being particularly visible, Hiett argues, “Every AFSC in civil engineering brings something to the table, and no matter what our particular craft is, it’s one team, one fight.” “When an emergency occurs, we really do bring a lot to the fight and integrate with our ‘traditional’ civil engineer craftsman. I promise, when there’s an emergency, it becomes very clear what we bring to the CE Enterprise.”
Teamwork has been a staple of Hiett’s military service. Whether working in tandem with sister services and partnered and allied forces on joint operations or leaning on the critical expertise and acumen of USAF CE civilians to achieve missions, Hiett stressed the criticality of collaboration. “Everything we do in CE is about teamwork. No one is doing anything on their own in CE, so it really is about the relationships that you foster,” she stated. Thinking back to a particular mission, Hiett mentioned how without the stellar USAF civilian personnel supporting her and her team, “We wouldn’t have been able to accomplish half the things that we did.”
Hiett’s proudest moments in uniform are when she sees her prior Emergency Management Technical School trainees and the Airmen she’s mentored over the years lead successful careers. “I know that so much of my own success is owed to the men and women who took the time to care about me and invest in my development over the years,” Hiett asserted. “Knowing that I've been able to pay it forward by having a hand in helping others grow and learn is an incredible feeling. It’s incredible to know that you've been a part of someone else's journey.”
“You really have to lift one another up and support each other to get the mission done. That’s probably one of the things I love most about CE is the teamwork – the teams that we build and the relationships that we foster,” Hiett underscored. “There really is no other enterprise quite like the Air Force Civil Engineers.”
| Date Taken: | 05.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2025 10:32 |
| Story ID: | 498921 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 3,786 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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