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Recognizing every day acts of greatness

  • Published
  • By Col. Michael Hornitschek
  • 375th Air Mobiltiy Wing Commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  The Air Force currently has four editions of "Portraits in Courage"--a series that chronicles stories of heroism, valor, sacrifice and bravery. The Airmen highlighted include those who, under extreme and hazardous conditions, call in close-air support, serve as interpreters for the Afghan wounded, disarm explosive ordinance, and provide life-saving assistance just to name a few examples.

There are currently more than 500 Team Scott personnel deployed in harm's way, and they are doing extraordinary work in their theaters of operation. That leaves approximately 12,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve, civilians and contractors on station to sustain a full spectrum of mission capabilities and provide support for those on the front lines as well as throughout the Air Force.

While not everyone may be highlighted in a book for heroic accomplishments, each member of our Air Force makes a difference everyday in the service of our great country and we have numerous opportunities available to recognize their contributions to the mission. Recognizing our people is a key attribute of leadership, and one that can pay huge dividends as we grow our work force into tomorrow's leaders.

Formal recognition is an indispensible tool for leaders, but some of the most valued recognition can come from peers, supervisors and customers for daily tasks performed. A personal note of thanks, a boss "catching" a member of their staff doing a good job and sharing it with the rest of the staff, praise delivered in a public setting--these simple gestures give value to the task performed and the individual. It is a demonstration of caring and commitment as we focus on building resilient and winning teams.

"Excellence in All We Do" comes from professionals such as Staff Sgt. Gary L. Jordan, Jr., who is a KC-135R jet engine mechanic with the 906th Air Refueling Squadron. He arrived here last year to stand up the 906th as part of the Air Force's Total Force Integration effort between active duty aircrews and aircraft assigned to the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing.

As part of the squadron's advance team, Sergeant Jordan provided a seamless transition for 24 of his newest teammates, enabling them to complete their KC-135R aircraft qualification training and poise the unit to deploy 18 members in support of combat operations. The focus and timely training provided by Sergeant Jordan was instrumental in deploying eight aircraft to the U.S. Southern Command and Central Command's areas of responsibility.

Then there's Airman 1st Class Cierra Turner, a system administrator on the Global Command and Control System, who is assigned to the 375th Communications Support Squadron. This is a critical system as Air Mobility Command employs the Deliberate Crisis Action Planning and Execution Segments--known as DCAPES--portion of GCCS in support of the global movement of national resources. DCAPES enables Air Force users to support the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan throughout the entire air planning and execution process. Airman Turner ensures systems are available for AMC and other Air Force customers to meet mission goals.

Excellence is also found with Senior Airman Steven Adkins who has quickly become a key member of the Power Production shop in the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron. He made an immediate impact by installing a generator set and two light carts supporting an event for 310 dormitory residents. He also discovered a fuel leak at the Waste Water Treatment Facility eliminating contamination to Scott's water supply and saving $2,500 in equipment damage. Additionally, he completed a generator controller upgrade that saved $3,300 in replacement cost and extended generator service life five years.

Our young Airmen are certainly leading the way, as demonstrated by Airman 1st Class Xiangzhi Meng, a Physical Therapy technician with the 375th Medical Operations Squadron. He provides orthopedic and musculoskeletal therapy services to ensure that active duty members are returned to duty and are deployable as soon as possible while making sure their beneficiaries have access to the best medical care available. He directly impacts more than 14,000 patients seen annually in the clinic and has earned multiple patient accolades for his outstanding customer service.

That's just a sampling of the outstanding work being performed by those around us...active duty, Guard and Reserve. With numerous opportunities to recognize our valued teammates within the Air Force, in our respective career fields, and in professional and volunteer associations as well, have you made the effort to push someone into the spotlight to showcase their accomplishments? Leaders of substance will have a keen eye to watch for opportunities and follow through with the appropriate action.

I continue to be humbled by the dedication and commitment from our outstanding Team Scott members.