MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. -- First of all, I want to say how honored I am to serve in the South Carolina Air National Guard. It has been and continues to be the best unit in the United Sates Air Force and Air National Guard. I want to personally say thanks to all of you for what you continue to do for your unit, state and nation. The mission comes first and it takes each and every one of you to accomplish it. It's critical that we all understand the importance of our duties, responsibilities and roles in helping others. It does not matter what status you serve in, full time force or traditional guardsman, everyone is equally important from the lowest ranked Airman to the general officer.
I recently attended the Chief's Executive Course and would like to point out a few things addressed during this five-day course.
1) Renew our commitment to the profession of arms.
Core Values- the core values remind us of what it takes to get the mission done and inspire us to do our best at all times.
AFI-36-2618 "Little Brown Book"- The Enlisted Force Structure is something all officers and Airmen should become familiar with. This is a guide for each tier in your enlisted career.
Training- One should focus on Air Force Specialty Code skill level training. It is a priority to train on your mission.
Leadership, Supervision, Mentorship- Enlisted Performance Reviews, Feedback and "Eye to Eye" contact with your Airmen is important. We all need to increase human interaction with all Airmen.
Development of Airmen: It is imperative that we all pay attention to our individual development as supervisors, mentors and leaders. We deliberately develop those who will lead in the future.
Education Requirements: We must focus on our Professional Military Education at the right point of our career. There are Community College of the Air Force requirements for E-8 and E-9... don't get left behind.
2) Health of the Force.
Resources to Build Resilience: We need to embrace the four pillars of resilience- mental, physical, social and spiritual. We must be fit in all four pillars to enable us to fully accomplish the mission.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response: We must take care of all Airmen and protect each other from harm.
3) Recognize our Accomplishments.
We need to focus on the importance of what we do and always let our Airmen know how well they have completed their assigned tasks. We need to let our Airmen know how their assigned tasks affect the mission. Make it a priority to share your story with young Airmen.
It is important to remind everyone of the importance of our core values, and I encourage all of you to get a copy of the "Little Blue Book."
1) Integrity First
The willingness to do what is right even when no one is looking. Integrity also consists of the following moral traits; Courage, Honesty, Responsibility, Accountability, Justice, Openness, Self-Respect and Humility.
2) Service before Self
Professional duties take precedence over personal desires. Respect for Others, Discipline, Self-Control and Faith in the System are all behaviors included in Service before Self.
3) Excellence in all we Do
This directs us to develop a sustained passion for the continuous improvement of accomplishment and performance.
I want to remind every one of us "old timers" that the guard we are in now is not the same guard we joined. I joined the South Carolina Air National Guard in July of 1986 after serving four and a half years on active duty at Howard Air Force Base, Panama and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. I can't begin to tell you about all of the changes that I've seen here at McEntire. It's human nature to resist change, but change is what has made this unit so strong and such a vital fighting force for the Department of Defense. As we continue in the future, more change will come. The F-35 is one change that comes to mind. So my advice to you is to be prepared to accept change and press forward. The upcoming Theater Support Package is another change that comes to mind. It will be different than any Aerospace Expeditionary Force deployment in the past, and we must be prepared and capable to perform the mission. We have already began preparing for the TSP, and we have robust training scheduled April through June drill weekends. Therefore, it is critical that all TSP deplorers attend all regularly scheduled drills prior to the TSP.
Again, thank you for all you continue to do to support the South Carolina Air National Guard. If I can ever assist you please stop by my office and chat.
Chief "Dan" Shelley