JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Have you ever thought about a career as a first sergeant?
If you answered yes, then you're not alone. Last week, Joint Base Charleston was fortunate to host Senior Master Sgts. Scott Bowermaster and Patrick Shaw from the Air Force First Sergeant Academy as they taught a First Sergeant Symposium for 74 technical and master sergeants who have also considered this line of work.
In addition to the formal training the students received on their role as a first sergeant defined by Air Force Instruction 36-2113, there was plenty of interaction with many base agencies - the same agencies first sergeants have close working relationships with when resolving the daily challenges our Airmen experience.
In holding true to the first sergeant motto, "People are our business," great emphasis was placed on counseling techniques, many of which were performed through scenarios. As the students worked through the scenarios, a better understanding of the communication process was uncovered.
Most business we engage in with our Airmen uncovers the need for some simple redirection and a little guidance. Once people understand a process, they want to see it through. In other words, if they can be steered in the right direction (to the appropriate agency), they can do the rest; they want to do the rest.
In speaking with the class leader Master Sgt. Scott Levesque after the five-day seminar concluded, he shared the following information with me. In reference to the course material and classroom instruction he and other students received pertaining to first sergeant duty, he compared it to drinking from a fire hose. The information presented was fast and furious; it was non-stop, intense and received well.
Although it was tough to decide on a single area of instruction he liked better than others, Sergeant Levesque stated his greatest take-away from the course was how you can take care of people, while still being able to maintain good order and discipline and reward appropriately at the same time.
Many of the students in the symposium have already submitted their packages to become a first sergeant, while others are still in the process. For the rest of the students, they simply wanted the opportunity to expand their knowledge, broaden their experience and become better leaders to their units. It provided them the chance to look at similar situations from different angles and realize there's not a cookie-cutter way to approach challenges. Similar to a remark once made by Gen. George Patton when he said, "If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."
Do you have the ability to communicate clearly and effectively? Would you like an active role in shaping tomorrow's leaders today? Do you enjoy leading from the front? Are you in great physical shape? Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone, and willing to take on something bigger than yourself? If you're ready for the challenge, then a career as a first sergeant might be right for you.
If you're interested in first sergeant duty and have what it takes, contact your unit first sergeant for more information.