CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
I love being a first sergeant because it gives me the best opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with our Airmen.
I have faithfully served our nation for 22 years and the best advice I can offer today's Airman is that now is the best time to get your education. When I speak with people, I always ask, "where are you with your education?" Most respond by saying, "I'm not doing anything right now but I plan to get started soon."
Procrastination sets in and they never take the important first step and go to the Education Center. Time passes and their first enlistment is up and still, no progress toward completing their college degree. They find themselves not competitive for the civilian job market and they wonder, where has time gone?
The question I ask is, what have you done with your time?
Now is the best time for a first term Airman to take classes and work toward completing their education. Unless you are a senior airman that has completed Airman Leadership School, you are not performing supervisory duties. Other than duty hours, your spare time window is 100 percent open.
After completing ALS, supervisors are responsible for leading and mentoring Airmen. Staff and technical sergeants are also responsible for everyone, equipment and facilities on a given shift. With this responsibility, their spare time window is only 75 percent or less. Many of our shift supervisors are married with family responsibilities and that alone decreases the available spare time window to 50 percent or less depending on the size of the family.
If you work a 12-hour shift and sleep six hours, that leaves you six hours of spare time in the day to go to school if you're a first term Airman. If you're a staff or technical sergeant, you may have three to four hours of spare time in a day to devote toward your education.
What about the senior NCOs? SNCOs are normally responsible for a duty section and have three times the responsibility of the first term Airman. A SNCO's spare time window is limited to 25 percent or less which equated to about one to two hours a day on a good day.
As a first sergeant in a large unit, my spare time window is non-existent due to the demands of my position and balancing family life.
Another question I ask our Airmen is, do you want to be a chief master sergeant? If so, guess what's required ... a Community College of the Air Force degree. In order to make senior master sergeant, a CCAF is required.
All roads to a successful Air Force career begin with your education. In order to be selected for a special duty assignment or PME instructor position, a CCAF degree is required.
A final thought I leave Airmen pondering is, do you plan to wear this uniform until you are age 65? Of course no is the answer, but what are you going to do when you are no longer on active duty? No matter which direction your career path guides you, completing your education as a first term Airman is the best thing you can do for yourself, your family and your future.