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The innate powers of the millennial enlisted

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We live in the dawn of the Information Age. As military members we have seen throughout history the various stages of development for the betterment of mankind. As each major Age takes place, we see the end results of better technology, food production methods, and our ability to defend ourselves with more advanced weaponry.

Today’s enlisted member has more opportunities available for personal growth and development than in any time in history. The landmark Post 9/11 GI Bill is one of the greatest tools an Enlisted person has in their arsenal for personal education. Emulating the Post WWII Gi Bill of our forefathers returning from European campaign, the Post 9/11’s greatest strength is its versatility. The fact that there is a BAH allowance eases the financial burden of trying to pay for living expenses while in school, particularly for young families.

I enlisted in the Air Force in 1998. Like all Airmen, I proudly marched at Lackland, carried 341s (and sometimes lost them to a sharp eyed TI). I was fortunate enough to be stationed at Barksdale for my entire enlistment. During this time, I developed the work ethic that would help me in my future endeavors even when things got rough.

I studied good leaders, emulated their work habits, and either went to school off duty or worked a second job. The end result? After one enlistment, I had a Bachelor’s degree, an Associate’s and a CCAF. I was able to apply both to OTS and the FBI. Despite not being selected, it was a great stepping stone towards future endeavors.

Today at 38, I’m a Technical Sergeant in a Reserve Squadron in Riverside.  I completed a Doctorate in Education, own a life coaching company, Blue Dragon Enterprises, that I started for 100 dollars and just released my seventh book. I run about 20 miles a week and give life counseling to those that need it.

You have the ability to accomplish far more than I ever have. You have advantages that I never had, and once you read the following section, you will have the potential to elevate yourself to new levels of success and leadership that you never thought possible.

I am going to share with you five tenets for your development as an enlisted member.

1. Learn to Network

I wish I had capitalized on this years ago. Networking is like creating your own army of people that are instrumental towards your success. After reading Win Friends and Influence People, which may be the best book I have ever read, I improved my interpersonal communications greatly and capitalized on the power of a group of people. I have friends that help me print t shirts, find me clients, promote my book, and offer suggestions for success.

As an enlisted person, you have an enormous network to draw from. Co workers, Supervisors, Families of fellow vets, the list is endless. If I had been more knowledgeable, I would have started my company while Active Duty because I had so many people I encountered on base daily. Here are some networking tips.

A. Get business cards that are professional, specific, and have your contact info. Vistaprint is the best company I have found so far.

B. When meeting someone new, give them a firm handshake and observe the small details about them. It’s a time honored principle that a person’s favorite talking point is themselves, so ask questions and pay attention.

C. When you meet someone new, find out their hobbies, interests, job, and listen VERY carefully for anything they may need help with. If you can provide this, without being asked, that person will want to keep you around for a very long time.

D. Remember people’s first names. It’s a huge compliment when you remember who someone is after a period of time.

E. Remember that every person you meet has a skill or ability, and a want. People are assets and you must be prepared to equally be an asset to them. Always give more than you take.

2. Be the Standard

Remember what it was like to be in the last week of Basic Training? You were looked upon by new recruits as the absolute standard, the person who had achieved the ultimate pinnacle of discipline and achievement. You were squared away, probably in the best shape of your life and more confident than you had ever been. You walked with pride and probably gave some hope to some 1st week recruit that was terrified.

Are you still that person?

Are you the Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine that could appear on a recruiting poster? Are you 1st Sergeant Material? If not, maybe its time to revisit what makes a person be average and what makes them the standard by which others are held to.

A. Work Performance

The average troop will show up at work in a questionable looking uniform, and do what is asked while thinking of the weekend. They will look at their professional development as a waste of time, and devote more time thinking about lunch than the shared vision of the Flight Commander, First Sergeant, E-9, and other leadership.

The troop that strives to be the Standard will show up early, with a haircut, and the materials needed that resemble a business professional: Pen, Pencil, Notebook, Day Planner, Calculator and Weekly Schedule of Events, Training, and Work. They will have firsthand knowledge of the current events within their unit, and will have a good rapport with all coworkers.

The troop that strives to be the best will know exactly what the standards of their Enlisted Performance report entails, and will be a forward thinker, and aggressive performer. Show me an Enlisted member in the front row of a Commander’s briefing taking notes furiously, and Ill show you a person that is on the fast track to success.

B. Physical Fitness

A 2009 report compiled by a Washington D.C nonprofit states that 75% of young people are unfit to serve based on obesity, test scores, drug use…etc. This means that 3 of 4 people will never have the privilege of wearing the uniform. Appreciate and honor the fact that your country has granted you passage to the enlisted ranks. No matter what branch of service, you have a duty to keep a regular fitness routine going, even off duty.

Ever seen someone that has let themselves go? The uniform is a bit tight; they look sloppy, unkempt, and unprofessional. I can understand if you have surgery or a medical condition, but for the most part, if you are healthy and completely ambulatory, you have no excuse for not maintaining your weight.

A regular fitness routine will keep your self esteem healthy, add years to your life, and reduce your chances of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and many forms of cancer.

The best way I found to gradually improve my diet is to reduce flour intake. Run three times a week and do a long run on Saturdays. I eat five small meals a day and incorporate foods like unsalted almonds, tomatoes, pork, tuna, and apples.

The average troop will not start getting serious until about a month before a fitness exam.

The troop that sets the Standard has no worries because they have trained all year.

Need a final push? Print out the US Army Ranger Creed and hang it on your refrigerator. Those are some of the most powerful words I have ever read.

C. Leadership

Leadership is an interesting attribute. Some military members will spend their entire career trying to attain it. Leadership differs from management and the two terms are often confused because their goals are similar. I have known guys in Basic Training that had leadership and I have had supervisors that were in for 22 years that were still figuring it out.

Leadership is the ability to have others follow you without trying.

Management is directly supervising others through orders, and reviewing the results.

See the difference? For the sake of your growth as an enlisted member, your goal should involve becoming an effective manager by DISPLAYING leadership.

By studying famous leaders throughout history, you can see how they have maximized results from their troops. Napoleon Bonaparte was one such leader that reached nearly cult-like status due to his confidence and reputation. Near the end of his military career, he was banished to the Italian island of Elba. It was hoped that he would quietly spend his life in isolation, far away from the newly crowned King Louis XVIII.

Great leaders cannot be so easily suppressed. Napoleon not only escaped with 600 of his most trusted followers, but sailed them to French shores within a month.

Marshall Ney, who was assigned 6000 men, promised to bring Napoleon “back to Paris in a cage.” Upon meeting Napoleons daily growing army, he and his men joined them.

In 2 months, Napoleon had amassed an army of 280,000 men ready to do battle with Europe’s armies. King Louis the XVIII, in fear of his life, fled.

This is but one historical example of what the powers of leadership can create.

This brings us back to the topic of enlisted leadership.

An average leader will bark out vague orders, chastise subordinates in public, and put their own needs ahead of their troops. They will rule by fear, and punish harshly in order to feel powerful.

The leader that sets the Standard will put the welfare of their troops first. They lead from the front and are not abject to small duties when necessary, such as taking out the trash, helping to move furniture, or helping on a group project. I can assure you, when you have mastered leadership, these things will get done, as if by themselves.

The best leaders will know about the families of their lower ranking troops. They will encourage career development and education; they will provide a dynamic and intellectual work environment. They will know when to listen and will only use their rank when necessary to the mission at hand. In my experiences, humility and given respect are the two greatest traits a leader should possess.

Even the lowest ranking member of a unit, squadron, or battalion should study leadership in order to prepare for who they will one day be.

3. Become a SME

Our enlisted ranks have seen many changes in the very conduct of warfighting. Proficiency at your job has never been a more valuable tool for advancement. No matter what your Rate, AFSC, or MOS, your mission as an enlisted person should be the attainment of Subject Matter Expert Status. Think about where you work right now. Are you the “go to” person for a certain subject or work related task? Are you so experienced that you are the first person that is called upon?

That is one of the main differences in the Officer/Enlisted culture. Officers are schooled in the art of Management/Supervision. Enlisted are technical specialists entrusted with the some of the most advanced forms of warfighting technology known to man.

It is a new dawn for the enlisted member. We are now satellite technicians, computer network specialists, nuclear technicians, and sensor operators for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Take pride in the fact that your country has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to train you and give you these skills.

To become a Subject Matter Expert, or SME, one should adopt a series of habits that will help them to be viewed as “the best.”

*Do not memorize technical information, but rather know where to find it. If you have a technical data library of books or an online database at work, spend time becoming familiar with it.

*Keep a small notebook with you at all times to jot down notes or observations. Divide into sections so you don’t end up with an unorganized mess.

*Ask higher ranking members about some of the most challenging work tasks that they have dealt with and the steps they took to solve them. You may gain valuable knowledge.

*Find the most proficient and knowledgeable member in your workplace and take them to lunch. Ask them about what it takes to “get to their level.” Most times they will be so flattered, that they will give you some VERY valuable advice.

*Remember that becoming an expert is 50% hands on experience and 50% technical knowledge. When you acquire both, you will truly be a master of your profession.

Why should you become a SME? You will be given greater opportunities for advancement, will be held to a higher regard by supervisors, and when you decide to leave the military or retire, you will command a far greater earning potential if you are at an expert status.

4. Use Your Benefits

By enlisting in the military, you get certain benefits that are fairly obvious such as commissary privileges, GI Bill, and BAH. There are a few that lie under the surface that can be utilized however. Did you know that the VA can guarantee first time homebuyer loans? Or that Patriot Loans can be used to open a small business?

If you are trying to finish a degree, you can take CLEP and DANTES tests to skip certain lower level courses. They are free to military members. Take the test, if you pass, free college credit! Inquire at base education to find out more.

Military members also get reduced or free passes to Seaworld, and discounts at many restaurants and stores. www.militaryandveteransdiscounts.com has over 260,000 discounts for vets.

5. Self Educate

This is the big one. Even if you have finished college and feel like you can stop learning, you must keep growing mentally. Self education is one of the most important goals for any enlisted member. You have access to the collected discoveries of the entire human race available to you online.

How are you spending it? Facebook? Angry Birds? Words with Friends?

We are an evolutionary species. In less developed countries, teachers are still being killed for daring to educate others. The ability to learn is tantamount to human intellectual growth. Don’t waste the opportunity to better yourself. Any of the following are great ways to exercise your strongest muscle- the brain:

1. Watch a TED talk and hear some of the greatest people of our generation at http://www.ted.com/talks.

2. Watch Tony Robbins’ new 2012 speech on YouTube for FREE that teaches you to set a higher standard for yourself. Located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLu-qYS92lw&feature=related.

3. Read any of the following books and be amazed at the results- Awaken the Giant Within (Robbins), Win Friends and Influence People (Carnegie), The Law of Success (Hill), Outlaw Platoon (Parnell), or Multiple Streams of Income (Allen).

4. I saved the best for last, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the most famous technical schools in the history of this country has now put their ENTIRE CURRICULUM online for free. All the lectures, all the tests, all the supplementary notes. You now have access to some of the most advanced educational materials that this country has to offer. They are also offering a Certificate of Completion if you can pass the Circuits and Devices course online. Don’t waste this opportunity, if you ever needed access to Marketing, Management, Engineering, Science, or many other topics, USE THIS RESOURCE> http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that you appreciate the privileges of being an enlisted member, and I thank you for your service. It has been my honor to share this information with you and I wish you the best in becoming the best leader possible.

An enlisted person puts on a uniform not for the protection of themselves or family, but for the nation. Do not take this responsibility lightly- Dr. Rob Garcia

Questions? Need Life Advice or a friend to talk to? Email me: robleegarcia@yahoo.com.

Annual 5K run honors, remembers sacrifices

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Team March members and families participated in the annual 1st Sergeant’s 5K Remembrance Run here Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. Each year the March Fitness Center joins the 1st Sergeant’s Council to sponsor the event to raise money for the Airman’s Relief Fund.

“It’s an excellent fundraiser for an excellent purpose,” said Master Sgt. Kyle Truelsen, first sergeant, 752nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. “We made at least $1,000 today for the Airman’s Relief Fund, which is used for Airman in dire straits, such as losing their job or their home.”

The event also coincides annually with America’s Kids Run, a national event held at many different bases across the country and around the world, who provides awards and T-shirts for racers.

The two races have three combined categories: kids, adults, and squadrons. Squadrons compete in formation hoping to win the 1st Sergeant’s traveling trophy, which is presented at the Military Appreciation Day picnic later in the day, and the year-long bragging rights that accompany it.

Four squadrons and nearly 100 individuals participated in this year’s 5K. The run honors and remembers those military and civilians who have served and/or given the ultimate sacrifice.

“We had a really good turnout,” said Pamela Smith, fitness center director, 452nd Force Support Squadron. “We like to see everyone come out and hopefully next year we can have more single, individual runners, as well as the units, and more kids.”

Airman benefits from National Guard Bureau assignment

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U.S. Air National Guard photo/Staff Sgt. Michael Quiboloy

Ever wonder what it would be like to serve at the National Guard Bureau (NGB)? Staff Sgt. Ricky Evans of the then 163rd Reconnaissance Wing, March Air Reserve Base, recently returned home from a tour at the Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, where he served in the NGB Human Resources Directorate.

“I had the opportunity to see firsthand and learn the bigger picture of our Air National Guard,” said Evans. “I was able to learn more about my Human Resources Air Force Specialty (Code) to better help others and better myself in my career.”

Evans, who applied for a six-month position, was on an Active Duty Operational Support (ADOS) tour to learn and assist at NGB while still assigned to the 163 RW. He was able to extend for another six months.

“I was wondering if I could keep up, and how I would earn the right to be there when I first arrived,” said Evans. “As a staff sergeant., I was the lowest ranking. The average rank was master sergeant and above.”

Evans explained that although he works as a personnel specialist at March ARB, working at NGB allows him to grow and continue to learn the duties of a civilian Human Resource Manager.

“I have a degree in Human Resources and to be able to work in every aspect of the position at NBG was a great opportunity to expand on my knowledge in the career field,” said Evans.

He learned of the opportunities at NGB through a previous supervisor who had told him about ADOS and statutory tours at NGB. After checking online for available opportunities, he saw the human resources manager position listed. He applied, submitted his package, interviewed over the phone, got selected and was on his way to the East Coast.

Evans worked on a three-person team with two master sergeants. His team was in charge of processing positions for the ANG directorates, which involved getting notifications from the directorates, drafting job descriptions and contacting applicants via email.

“We would reach out to the applicants if we found incomplete or missing documents and notify them if they didn’t meet the criteria of the position,” Evans said. “We would post to the website, check off qualified applicants and request interviews. I received and reviewed approximately 50 applications a day.”

Evans said he learned better time management and flexibility with last-minute adjustments in the fast-paced environment.

What advice does Evans have for someone interested in working at the NGB? “Be open to change.”

Evans, who was recently accepted for a full time position in the 163rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, advises those interested in working at the NGB to be open to change.

“The experience I received at NGB helped prepare me to take on new assignments as important as serving several squadrons at the group level,” he said. “The hardest part of working at NGB was being away from family and home,”

Evans, who began his career in civil engineering, has served in the California ANG for seven years. He later transferred to the Force Support Squadron to better align his skills to his degree in Human Resources. Since his return from ANG headquarters, he has been promoted to technical sergeant and the 163 RW has become the 163rd Attack Wing.

For information on how to apply for an Active Duty Operational Support tour or a statutory tour with NGB, visit ANG.AF.Mil/Careers/mva orang.af.mil/careers/ados/index.asp.

Combat Arms training facility opens for business

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U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kevin Mitterholzer

U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kevin Mitterholzer

Tech. Sgt. Hector Cabrera, Combat Arms instructor, 452nd Security Forces Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, gives instructions to members participating in target shooting at the Combat Arms training facility, Sept. 12, 2015. Members in attendance were part of the first qualifying class at the newly opened Combat Arms training facility on base.

National Hispanic Heritage Month

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Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 – October 15 to celebrate the contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

This year’s theme, “Hispanic Americans: Energizing Our Nation’s Diversity,” was chosen by the National Council of Hispanic Employment Managers and invites us to reflect on Hispanic Americans’ vitality and meaningful legacy in our Nation’s cultural framework.

America’s diversity has always been one of our nation’s greatest strengths. Hispanic Americans have long played an integral role in America’s rich culture, proud heritage, and the building of this great nation.

The Beacon recognizes and honors a long and proud heritage through the years. In this issue, the 1940s and 1950s.

1940s

– As World War II sets in, many Latinos enlist in the U.S. military— proportionately the largest ethnic group serving in the war.

– Dr. Albert Baez, together with Paul Kirkpatrick, develops the first X-ray microscope to observe living cells.  His daughter, Joan Baez, will become a world famous writer, singer, and a human rights activist.

– Dr. Héctor P. García, a physician and decorated World War II veteran, founds the American G.I. Forum, an organization created to ensure that Hispanic veterans receive benefits provided under the G.I. Bill of Rights of 1944.

– Macario García becomes the first Mexican national to receive a U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, yet is refused service at the Oasis Café near his home in Texas.

– Physicist Luis Walter Alvarez leaves his post at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to join the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bomb. He is responsible for the development of the triggering device used in the first plutonium bomb.

– Second Lieutenant Carmen Maria Lozano Dumler, becomes the first Puerto Rican woman to become a United States Army officer.

1950s

– Ritchie Valens becomes the first Hispanic rock star with his hit recording of Come On, Let’s Go. He also is the first Mexican American rocker to be featured on American Bandstand. Valens is considered the first Latino to successfully cross over into mainstream rock.

– Venezuelan shortstop Luis Aparicio becomes the first Hispanic American in U.S. professional baseball to be named Rookie of the Year.

– Captain Manuel J. Fernandez Jr., flies 125 combat missions during the Korean War. His 14.5 victories place him among the top U.S. Air Force aces of the two world wars and the Korean War combined.

– Biochemist Severo Ochoa becomes the first Hispanic to win a Nobel Prize in physiology for the synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA). He shares the prize with former student Arthur Kornberg.

– Henry B. Gonzalez attracts national attention for holding the longest filibuster (36 hours) in the history of the Texas Legislature.  He succeeds in stopping segregation bills aimed at circumventing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case.

– The landmark production of West Side Story premieres on Broadway, chronicling the racial tensions of the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Air National Guard Chaplain Corps creates ‘Strong Bonds’

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U.S. Air National Guard photo/Master Sgt. Julie Avey

What do the words strong bonds mean to you? Some of us may think about significant others, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and many others, but we probably don’t associate them with an acquired skill or a classroom topic, as in the Strong Bonds program.

Recently the 163rd Attack Wing, California Air National Guard, in conjunction with the ANG Strong Bonds program manager, retired Command Chief Master Sgt. Ed Brown, hosted chaplains from all over the country for a week-long training course to broaden their knowledge of the Strong Bonds program.

The classroom training aimed to arm chaplains and their assistants with new information to take back to their fellow Airmen, as well as their own families.  Students were assigned to a course consisting of LINKS (Lasting Intimacy through Nurturing Knowledge & Skills), Prep Got Your Back, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Military Families and Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage. These classes certified them to teach the Strong Bonds courses.

During training, the ANG Chaplain Corps had the opportunity to meet Dr. John Covey, and his wife, Jane. Covey’s brother, Stephen, wrote the best-seller, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”— the inspiration for the class “7 Habits of Highly Effective Military Families.”

The class focuses on the development of specific habits in one’s life that can assist an individual in more effectively putting his or her life values into practice, and provides a framework for applying universal principles which, in-turn, enables  family members to  communicate better for successful conflict resolution.

“As chaplains, we get a lot of training and relationship info,” said Chaplain Jose Martinez, 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri ANG. “Looking at leadership here in the military, we get different tactics and techniques. What ‘7 habits…’ has done is look at the historical documents of leadership and relationship building, breaking it down into seven habits to make it easier to put in steps,” he said. “That is what makes it productive, as you can articulate in a logical pattern on how to do things and hit the marks.”

Martinez went on to say that chaplains use many tools in many different ways, but that the ‘7 habits’ training is universal.

“You can use it for a family, a couple, or an individual. This training broadens my tool box in sharing with others, and some may be able to relate better to the Covey’s principle based training versus another more spiritual training.”

The Coveys shared that families do not fall because of poverty, deployments and so on.

“Families fall when they stop nurturing each other from within,” Covey said. Spend one-on-one time together, eat together, making it a happy time, (and) spend at least one half per week to go do something fun.”

They Coveys urged participants to  hold fast to family traditions because they give families their identities.

“For example, this is what we do as a family in the winter (and) this is what we do as a family on the holidays,” Covey said. “Continue adding to the traditions. Family traditions help children have an identity.”

“Dwell on strengths in your family not your weaknesses,” added Jane. “Everyone has both. Every child in your family brings something to the table, and we need to remember to recognize strengths.”

“Learn to know how to believe in people,” suggested Covey. “The leadership philosophy of a family is to communicate their worth and potential so clearly they begin to see it in themselves.”

Geoff Rodgers, an instructor for the organization “Laugh Your Way America,” was also on hand to teach a class. Founded by Mark Gungor in 2003, the program maintains that laughter is one of the greatest avenues to reach people’s hearts and stimulate them to open up to fresh, new ideas. A Christian organization that believes helping marriages and families is the foundation of a successful society, the founders maintain that laughter is an effective tool that lowers defenses and opens minds.

The organization also presents a marriage seminar that offers practical, nuts-and-bolts ideas on improving a marriage, and provides a chance for couples to laugh together as they use every available means to entertain those in attendance.

“We’ve always felt we had a very strong relationship, and stronger than other folks we know,” said Staff Sgt. Josh March, 193rd Special Operations Wing, Pennsylvania ANG, about his wife. “We thought it was because we’re so similar, although the class revealed we are exact opposites.”

His wife is neat and organized, and he is more fast-paced with a dump it and move on to the next project attitude, he said.

“ I know with her, if I can just take two minutes to put all that stuff away she will feel a lot better about it,” March said. “ We figured out the keys to working with each other and what each other needs. It’s knowing the why behind (those) needs.”

March said he learned that opposites can complement each other.

“I think it is important to be open-minded, even in business, surrounding yourself with people who are better than you in areas you are weak is the way to go,” he said. “Why should life be any different?”

The magic to making a marriage work, Rodgers said to the participants, is hard work and learning. “There’s lots of good curriculum out there to do the right things. Ours caters to the humor approach to things.”

Dr. John Van Epp, the author of “How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk,” taught a class on the LINKS program, which teaches couples the skills they need to nurture a lasting love. The program shows how to regularly revitalize the dynamic links in their marriage with the Relationship Attachment Model, which illustrates how couples grow closer by meeting one another’s needs for an open trusting and fulfilling relationship.

“These classes are only a handful of what Chaplain Corps can offer,” said Chaplain William Yates, an ANG colonel. “There are over 13 blocks in the Strong Bonds training for singles, couples and families, and evidence-based research that shows these programs achieve goals.”

Divorce rates are lower in couples who have attended Strong Bonds than those who have not, Yates said.

“It is important to me to know if the programs we provide Airmen are actually working.”

Jeff Erlacher, writer and master trainer, was also on hand to teach Got Your Back, a relationship intelligence program from PREP (Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Programs),  focusing on experiential learning to build self-awareness, promote mindful choices, and emphasize relationship skills.

“We have had good success before with our Strong Bond classes, but this is going to translate well with the ‘can do’ attitude of our Airmen,” said Technical Sgt. Jeremiah Henderson, a New York ANG chaplains assistant. “We will continue to build on the skills that our individual Airmen have. We are hoping this program will be the bridge to help even more as we reach out to Airmen with new knowledge.”

The week was not only full of bonding for couples but for the whole Chaplain Corps Team. They discussed new thoughts and shared experiences in class. One evening, the team hiked to the top of Mt. Rubidoux, in Riverside, California, and as they reached the peak at sunset they sounded off the Air Force Song, capturing the attention of those around them.

Other evenings, the corps took the opportunity to tour different mission sets at March Air Reserve Base, including the C-17 Globemaster III, the Air, and Marine Operations Center (AMOC), and the ANG’s Piloted Aircraft. The tours were offered to provide a better perspective on various skill sets in the total force.

“As we reflect upon the entire week’s worth of training, we walk away with the satisfaction knowing we have been empowered,” said Chaplain David Sarmiento, a major with the 163 ATKW. “Empowered with new tools to reach out to our men and women in uniform, regardless of the season (in which) they find themselves.”

Resume Writing Resources

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VMET

If you are on active duty or if you are a reservist, a good way to get information on your primary Air Force Specialty Code history, formal training and Professional Military Education is to obtain a DD form 2586, also known as a VMET (Verification of Military Experience and Training).

Go to: https://dmdc.osd.mil/tgps Once there, print the Cover Letter and the Document.

Military Occupational Code (MOC) to Federal Jobs Crosswalk

Go to www.mil2fedjobs.com , type in your Branch of Service and your AFSC (or MOC) and it will list the Federal  Job Series numbers you are eligible for.  Click on the far right column to see job postings!

Career One Stop

You can visit Career One Stop for assistance in writing a resume either on line or in person.

http://www.careeronestop.org/ResumesInterviews/ResumesInterviews.aspx

Riverside Workforce Agency Center

1325 Spruce Street

Riverside, CA 92507

Tel: 951-955-3100

San Bernardino Employment Resource Center

658 E Brier Drive, Suite 100

San Bernardino, CA 92408

Tel: 909-382-0440

Related Web Sites

http://usveteranspipeline.com  (finds jobs with AFSC) and   https://h2h.jobs    Hero 2 Hired

The Resume Place

Go to www.resume-place.com/resources/If you sign up as a member on the free Resume Place member page, you will have access to free resume builders, and much more

Military One Source 1-800-342-9647

http://www.militaryonesource.mil/deployment-and-transition/

This site will assist you in assessing your skills, puttinga resume together, customizing a resume, andin writing a cover letter.

O*Net Online

Http://www.onetonline.org is another resource to assist in writing a resume.  Provide your job title, Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC), or Military Occupational Code (MOC)to help with writing a resume.

March Airmen are published authors

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Courtesy photo

Some Airmen at March Air Reserve Base have taken Air Force leadership’s encouragement to tell his or her story one step further by writing and publishing their own books. A recent book signing near the reserve base revealed several such Team March, Airmen-authors.

Chief Master Sgt. Jerry J.K. Rogers, 163rd Communications Flight, California Air National Guard (CAANG), has served in the military for 35 years, and has a passion for writing that began in high school, although he didn’t pursue it seriously until four or five years ago, he said. That’s when he said he knew he was really meant to write.

“I used to dart off and my mom was like, ‘Where’s Jerry?’ and I would be at the library. It was only half a block away,” Rogers said.

It’s there that his love of reading let to his passion for writing.

“I had some high school teachers who encouraged me over the years. I had some ideas (for stories) and I still have the notes,” Rogers said.

His first novel, “The Fallen and The Elect,”was self-published about three and a half years ago and falls into the fantasy/science fiction category. Since then, Rogers has penned “The Legend of the Salad Traveler,” a short, light-hearted story reminiscent of the best-seller, “The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” as well as his third book, a religious/suspense novel, which is currently in the final stages of editing.

Rogers said he has seen the details of making sure you get everything right change since he started this journey.

“You want to make sure you get a quality product out there for everyone,” Rogers said. “Book cover, back cover, epilogue, grammar, proofing, formatting.”

He credits the changes to trial and error, as well as to Think Kings Publishing, the brainchild of Capt. Perry Covington, 452nd Air Mobility Wing; Michael Quibiloy (formerly CAANG), and Kat Lang. Current members include Rogers as well as Master Sgt. Monika Ros and Senior Master Sgt. Michael Leocadio, both also with the CAANG at March.

Think Kings was started in 2013 as a way to help themselves, and other up-and-coming writers and illustrators, work through the challenges of writing, illustrating, publishing, marketing, etc., Rogers said.

Joining Rogers at the book signing, Covington, spoke about how he became interested in writing in high school because of an English teacher he had who highlighted his writings to other classes which bolstered his confidence.

“From that point on I started taking writing more seriously, writing short stories and novellas, culminating to the point where I got to write an entire book.”

Covington said his military career has enhanced his writing through journalism training and the exposure he gets to daily writing in the public affairs career field.

“It has brought my own personal writing to another level. The history that I’ve been able to learn about the world from traveling in the military is something I would have never gotten from a book,” Covington said. “It’s invaluable.”

His first book, “Child of Atlantis-Ascension,” is first in a seven-book series targeted for pre-teens. The second book, “Child of Atlantis-Destiny,” is also published, and the third, “Child of Atlantis-Catalyst,” will be out the end of October.

Covington credits his daughters for helping write his first book.

Story-share was something he started with my daughters,  Jennavieve, 6, and Lilyana, 4, a few years back, he said.

“One of them begins a story and then at any given point they say someone else’s name and that person has to continue the story,” Covington said. “That’s basically how the idea for Child of Atlantis came about.”

As Story-share continues, so do the ideas for the rest of the series.

“I’m trying to do two books each year, so my goal is to be done with this series by 2017,” he said.

Covington is also authoring a teen, action, fantasy series called “The Caster Wars” about two sisters who are born into a world of witches and hunters; and has written one children’s book, “The Littlest Ninja,” for which he is in search of an illustrator.

As for the future of Think Kings Publishing, Covington said they’d eventually like to open it up to other authors and make it a fully functioning publishing house to give more control to the writers.

Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron plans strategically

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The 452nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron held its first Strategic Planning meeting, August 18-20 at the March Field Air Museum. The meeting, which identified areas needing improvement, will be conducted every three to five years in order to check the unit’s progress on those and other critical issues, said Col. Monsita Faley, commander.

I attended a three-day senior leadership development course recently, and asked Lt. Col. Scipiaruth Curtis, an AFSO-21 black belt, if she would facilitate training for my unit, Faley said.

The goal of the meeting was for squadron leadership to identify issues, set goals and determine the steps it would take to reach those goals, Faley said.

“Representatives from our Executive Management Committee attended,” Faley said. They are pre-identified leaders and those who have important processes. We also included those who play and important role in the squadron, such as ARTs (Air Reserve Technicians) for continuity. They have a lot of interface with members and see a lot of what’s going on in the unit.”

“It was very helpful for us all to get our ideas together,” said Senior Airman Brandi Myers, squadron aviation resource manager who has been with the unit for two months.

It was most helpful figuring out ways to get their financial system going, Myers said. They need to market themselves better to show what they do and how important their jobs are so they can get funded for more training, she said.

“If there were to be a real world situation, they would need us to go get people who are injured,” Myers said. “Without us there would be no one to do anything medically,” she said referring to their global capabilities.

This is the first strategic planning meeting Senior Airman Robert Kirby, medical administrative specialist and ART, has been involved with.

“I think it went fantastic!” Kirby said. “We were able to critically analyze ongoing issues and set goals for the unit.”

Kirby, who has been in the unit for two months, said one issue that will impact him the most is the funding issues.

“I have to write the orders, so it’s a juggling thing to try to get everyone funded to get exactly what they need.”

Understanding everyone’s skill sets and observing everyone participating in the problem-solving process is something Capt. Brian Goehner, flight commander of medical readiness and executive officer, said he got out of the meeting.

“It was successful on a number of fronts,” he said. “We were able to take a problem-solving process and apply it to some issues we have in our unit, and find some tangible actions that we can take to improve our unit overall, complete with action items, timelines and deliverables.”

One of the top issues identified was training, Faley said.

After recrafting their vision and mission statements so they were in line with Air Force Reserve Command’s and the 452nd Air Mobility Wing’s statements, Faley said they looked at their key processes to make sure they were in line with what their unit wanted. Brainstorming then led them to identify a gap in how they prepare and plan to send their people for annual tour, she said.

“We weren’t as mission-ready as we wanted to be, so the solution was to focus on training.”

In doing so, they determined that the main problem was task saturation, in other words, there were too many tasks, which resulted in lower morale and lower readiness, Faley said.

“The root causes were time management, accountability and motivation,” she said. “That’s where the idea for films came out.”

They decided to make some short films acting out scenarios that supervisors might have to deal with, showing the right and wrong way to communicate, be accountable, manage time and motivate.

“We think there has been a lot of unclear communication. Supervisors haven’t been as engaged, and holding their troops accountable,” Faley said.

They determined a lot of supervisors may not be comfortable with their role as a supervisor, and that the films will help them learn to motivate, delegate appropriately, and communicate better, Faley said.

The concept of films is novel and never been done before in the squadron, said Goehner. He hopes squadron members will remember the videos and their content.

People respond more to visual and comedy versus sending them an email, said Myers. They probably wouldn’t read it, she said. “Video will engage them more.”

“The end goal is to provide communication. We will show them during the commander’s calls and then post them on our internal share point sights,” Goehner said.

Although they haven’t gone far enough down the road to post the films so members might have access to them from home, he said that is a discussion they need to have going forward.

2015 Military Ball unit ticket representatives

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UNIT RANK / NAME DUTY PHONE

452 Wing Staff (951-655-xxxx or DSN 447-xxxx)

EO Ms. Paula Greenhaw 7402

EO Maj Nixomar Santiago 4782

PC Ms. Elaine Plein (DV Tickets {80}) 3060

452 MSG Units

4CTCS Ms Linda Welz (alumni) 4137/2862

452 CES SrA Shedrick Griggs (Primary) 4369

452 CES SrA Elizabeth Stevens 4369

452 CS MSgt Christine Devin 5945

452FSS MSgt Michelle Aspeytia 3061

452FSS TSgt Kameika Embry 3121

Honor Guard MSgt Phillip Powell 3086

Honor Guard MSgt Damon Mazyck 6105

452 LRS TSgt Christina Huerta 3437

452 LRS TSgt Duane Bogard 3437

452 SFS TSgt David House 2985

452 SFS MSgt Darrel Heisser 4355

50 APS MSgt Phil Maffett 4990/4992

50 APS MSgt Brenda Menjivar 4990

56 APS MSgt Anoinette Lewis 7854

452 MXG Units

452 AMXS TSgt Ana Najara 4701

452 MXS TSgt Araceli Saucedo 6704

452 MXS TSgt Jesus Fernandez 3353

452MXG/CSS MSgt Linda Pfizenmaier 2129

752 AMXS SMSgt Cynthia Villa 2039

452 MDG Units

452AMDS CMSgt Timi C. Bilal 2839/2773

452 AMDS SMSgt Stanley-Wolfe 2839/2773

452 ASTS SMSgt Cordova-Martinez 2751

752 MDS SMSgt Tammy Hellow 5628

452 Ops Group Units

336 ARS CMSgt Deborah McGuane 2153

912 ARS Ms Patrica Vegas 3477

452 AES Mrs Rosemary Pena 5282

452 AES MSgt Adriana Cortez 5228

452 ALCF SSgt Amber Lyon 5102

452 OSS TSgt Adelina Quintero 2856/5448

729 AS TSgt Andrew Lucas             4098

Tenant Units

163 MSG MSgt  Lana Miller 3580

163 RW TSgt Ines Jasso 7713

4 AF Ms Sherry Kemper 3432

701 COS SMSgt Christina Dowal 4735

362 RS SMSgt Russell Forsee 3751