CAMP RILEA, Or. (June 8, 2018) – Airmen from the Washington Air National Guard’s 194th Force Support Squadron are taking steps to develop their identity and culture as a squadron: brainstorming unit mottos, discussing values, and learning from each other to better serve their fellow Airmen.
“Authenticity, trust, and diversity,” said Lt. Col. Lisa G. Weaver, 194th FSS commander. “These are the values of the Airman of the FSS.”
The Airmen of the 194th FSS spent a week at Camp Rilea, team building and training in the array of skillsets necessary to serve the 194th Wing. The force support squadron mission includes work with lodging, mortuary affairs, dining, morale, welfare and recreation.
“We are all supporting our Airmen in very different ways so there is this diversity in our missions but there is also a huge diversity among our people,” said Weaver. A few FSS members are naturalized citizens, she added. “We have Airmen learning the American culture while learning what is to be an American Airman,” she said.
“It has been a pleasure and I’m proud to be an American citizen,” said Senior Airman Marcio Ferreira Da Silva, a services Airman assigned to the 194th FSS who is originally from Brazil. “I realized I was accepted as a citizen of this country, and being able to contribute to this nation is more than a privilege.”
U.S. military service members, including Guardsmen, are eligible for a few benefits when it comes to citizenship. Benefits include expedited processes and fee waivers.