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Choices that shaped my life

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Rodney O. Hicks
  • 375th Civil engineer squadron
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Choices. Our lives are full of them. I would like to share some of the choices I have made through my career that have shaped my life.

When I raised my hand to enlist in the Air Force, I had a choice to join any branch of service I desired. My father talked to me about the Air Force. Although he had never served, he had friends who were Air Force veterans who shared their incredible experiences. It was simply amazing the contributions these veterans had made to our country. I was inspired.

I chose to enlist in the Air Force in October 1987 and was offered three jobs. I chose Construction Equipment Operator as I enjoyed hands-on work and being outside. This "choice" set the course for my Air Force career. My journey to Chief Master Sergeant was not the smoothest nor was it the most celebrated or decorated. I was promoted based on hard work, timing and strong mentoring by others.

My first duty station was Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, N.H. There, my on-duty performance was outstanding, but my off-duty conduct left much to be desired. I was then stationed in Kadena Air Base, Japan, but that didn't bring about any change in my off-duty behavior. Those off-duty choices finally caught up with me in 1992, and I was consequently demoted from an E-4 sergeant to airman first class. Additionally, I met an administrative discharge board but was lucky enough to be retained in the Air Force. This was my wake-up call, and I made a commitment to change.

At my next duty station, I continued my strong duty performance and focused hard on being an ambassador of the Air Force 24/7, which included my off-duty time. Here I met two men, Chief Master Sgt. Gary Chatman and Tech. Sgt. John Little, who would forever change my life. I'm not sure if I chose them as mentors or they chose to mentor me because they saw something special in me that I honestly could not. I guess it's safe to say we chose each other.

Chief Chatman and Sergeant Little went out of their way to help me understand that I had a choice to get my career on track or to let my previous conduct shape the remainder of my career. With their guidance and encouragement I chose to fight to get my career back on track knowing it would be a long and slow process. In 1994 I was reinstated as an E-4 senior airman, tested for and made staff sergeant, and tested for technical sergeant that same year but came up a few points short.

With my career back on track, I closed this chapter in my life, but left the book open to remind me of the good and bad choices I had made in my career that shaped my career and gave me the tools to become a Chief Master Sergeant.

To our young Airmen, I learned the hard way how important mentoring is and that we signed up to be in the Air Force 24/7. Off-duty performance makes a difference, too. But it is never too late to turn things around. Take a few moments to examine your own life. Do you have a great mentor? Does what you do off-duty make you a good Airman? These are some critical choices you need to make that will have a lasting impact on your life. It is up to you to decide what the choices will be.