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The 86th Medical Group Top 3 conducted its first Senior NCO Symposium Jan. 17 on Ramstein.
Senior NCOs from the 86 MDG, along with an Army counterpart, gathered to discuss ways they can build upon their experience and strengthen their leadership.
“Senior NCOs are very good at mentoring the Airman tier, NCO tier, company grade officer tier and civilians, but sometimes we forget about ourselves,” said Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Stellabotte, 86th Dental Squadron dental laboratory superintendent. “In order for us to be better leaders, to still provide that mentorship and development for our people, we sometimes need to look in the mirror and develop ourselves.
“So the purpose is for us to gain something for our toolbox, become better and then pass that on to our Airmen, NCOs, CGOs and civilians,” Stellabotte added.
Throughout the day, various speakers covered topics such as career field functional manager perspectives, ethical leadership, deliberate development and the stratification process.
Even though the speakers led the sessions, participants were encouraged to ask questions and provide input. The symposium was designed to be interactive, Stellabote said.
“Without the interaction from the audience, the intent would fail,” Stellabote said.
One notable guest speaker was Chief Master Sgt. Kaleth O. Wright, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa command chief, who is slated to become the 18th chief master sergeant of the Air Force.
Wright began his Air Force career in the medical field as a dental assistant specialist and spoke to the audience about the importance of deliberate development and pursuing excellence not only at work but also at home.
Stellabotte stressed the importance of the symposium, saying that even senior NCOs need to replenish themselves regularly in order to be effective leaders.
“Knowledge development is a continuous process, and it’s never going to stop, even after we leave the Air Force,” Stellabotte said. “As senior leaders, it’s always good to reflect back and remember where we came from, and part of that is by putting together a symposium … or something that’s value added where we can learn from each other and improve upon our leadership skills, as well as our professional development as a whole.”
