VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Often times, Airmen give back and are advancing the Air Force without even realizing it. Every Airmen has the power to affect the future of the Air Force by just sharing knowledge, experience and ideas.
And so, ask not what the Air Force can do for you – ask yourself what you can do for the Air Force.
“What can make my job easier and the Air Force’s obligation easier?” asked Senior Master Sgt. Curtis Brooks, 4th Space Launch Squadron superintendent. “To ensure the knowledge that you have, and to pass it on- that was the first contribution I paid back to the Air Force, the knowledge to do the job and serve our country.”
Brooks joined the Air Force in 1995. Still a young man and not ready to make the big life decisions, the Air Force shaped his early 20s and now as a senior master sergeant, his future.
There are numerous ways that Airmen can help change the Air Force, and with that, the Air Force can change them.
“The Air Force has made me better at guiding others,” said Staff Sgt. Lanimarie Baclian, 614th Air Operations Center targeting and tactical assessment NCOIC.
As a new staff sergeant, Baclian has become the supervisor of two new Airmen.
“I am constantly making sure those around me have everything they need to complete their tasks and more importantly, the mission,” said Baclian.
Baclian was raised in a military household, and she was accustomed to falling into the role of another parent to her three younger siblings.
“I was raised in a Filipino culture where the oldest sibling in the household essentially becomes the second or third parent,” said Baclian. “And without even thinking about it, the oldest is raised to take care of the younger siblings.”
Although Baclian is no longer able to help raise her siblings, she now gets to assist Airmen and guide them through the beginning of their careers. Baclian’s culture and how she was raised will now change the life of the Airmen she mentors during her enlistment.
“The Air Force gave me an appreciation for a job,” said Lt. Col. Ryan White, 30th Space Communications Squadron commander. “When I joined the military my job began to matter, and not only to those around, but to the Air Force as a whole and to the Department of Defense.”
White is coming up on 20 years in the military. With experience as both enlisted and a commissioned officer, his goal is to pass on his knowledge of cyber communications and the Air Force’s mission to those he comes across during his career, as well as inspire innovation to all Airmen to help shape the future of the Air Force.
“My entire career field and the way we are approaching cyber is fundamentally different today than when I joined the Air Force in 1999,” said White. “I’m observing the innovative transformation from traditional communications and information to cyber space and cyber assurance, roles and missions.”
Vandenberg Air Force Base’s vision is for innovative Airmen to lead the next generation of space lift and range capabilities. Team V has diverse Airmen that come from all over the world who bring their background, experience and innovative ideas to the office and are ready to change the future of the Air Force.
“The problems that we have today are not going to be solved with yesterday’s solutions,” White said.