Twitter
Facebook
The 86th Operations Group held its quarterly Project Connect call here April 22.
Project Connect provides a means for Air Force company grade officers to network with field grade officers and enhance personal and professional growth.
The forum was different from previous events where only CGOs were in attendance; 10 chiefs representing the 435th Air Base Wing and 86th Airlift Wing made up the discussion panel and answered questions asked by nearly 100 attendees of all ranks.
Force structure and reshaping dominated much of the discussion and the chiefs were able to place the changing events of today’s Air Force in perspective. As the Air Force eliminates various career fields, many functions will be automated and available online, much like virtual MPF. This gives the military member the ability to handle many personal needs in an efficient manner.
Chief Master Sgt. Kennith Pires, 86th Maintenance Squadron, pointed out one of the benefits of online documents.
“I am currently out-processing and it was nice to receive my orders electronically as soon as they were complete. When one office needs six copies of orders and another eight, I just sit down and print off whatever I need. It’s convenient.”
With the closing career fields in mind, more enlisted troops will look to cross-train into other career fields. Although the chiefs don’t have direct input into the cross-training process, they can be a valuable source of information to anyone seeking career advice and counseling.
“No matter how busy a chief becomes he or she will always make time to answer a question or give advice,” said Chief Master Sergeant James Gray, 435th Communications Squadron.
“For chiefs it’s a question of respect; respect for one’s self to provide honest responses to difficult questions and respect that is gained from others by being available no matter how busy your schedule,” said Chief Master Sergeant David Hurst, 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
The message of the form was, “You can be a chief wherever you are whether as an E-3, E-5 or E-9. As a chief you look for those opportunities and responsibilities that require hard work and you make things better for everyone in your organization.”
Chiefs are not just a commander’s resource. They can give honest answers to difficult questions. A consensus among the chiefs is that “a chief is not just a maintenance chief or a support chief. A chief is everyone’s chief.”
