Have a Tisue

I’ve spent the last 10 days sponsoring team Ireland for the Women’s Military Soccer World Cup. Today Darren Cody, the head coach for team Ireland spent an hour to talk about his experience coaching, leading in the Irish Army, and we share some of our favorite moments during the team’s first 10 days in the United States. These past 10 days, I’ve been included in all of the Irish events and it’s truly been a great last few days in the United States as I get ready to head out to Africa for six months.

Today, Command Chief Master Sergeant Daniel Guzman joined me for a 90-minute podcast. It’s my 32nd birthday which means it’s been exactly one year since I posted my first podcast. Chief Guzman has been the Command Chief at Fairchild Air Force Base for almost 18 months and is set to be the Command Chief at Elmendorf this Summer. He currently has 25 years in active duty and we talk about some of the lessons and experiences he’s gained in those years. Chief values being available for Airmen and being the voice for Airmen during meetings with senior leadership. He pointed out that we can’t assume everyone has a mentor or coach and we need to coach those people. We talk about how he worked 12+ hours at Lakenheath and burnt himself out as a Senior Master Sergeant and after a PCS to Langley he realized he was the only one working past 1700 and that he needed to rearrange his priorities. He suggested I read the book Go-Giver and that book highlighted that the most successful people are willing to share their secrets with others, I try to get Chief Guzman to share as many of those secrets as I can within these 90 minutes.

Episode #17, I spoke to SMSgt Mark Castleberry, Fairchild’s Top 3 President of 2021. Mark and I were not too familiar with one another when he agreed to be on this podcast. I have only heard great things about him from other SNCOs and leaders around the base. I first met Mark at a Top 3 meeting and it was memorable because he was able to call just about everybody in that room by their first name, to include my own. Learning someone’s name is one of the most fundamental things you can do when trying to gain influence and I had to ask Mark about the effort and deliberateness he makes on learning names. We talk about why connecting people is important to him and I ask questions to share insight on what it would be like for anyone who is interested in running for a private organization council position.

For episode #16, I spoke to Fairchild’s Career Assistance Advisor, MSgt Erica Northam. I met Erica during my first month here while organizing the Airpower Leadership Academy. Our Command Chief suggested I get in contact with her, but I didn’t want to include her at first, because I assumed that the base Career Assistance Advisor would try to make the program into something too professional or require more organization than I believed to be necessary. I quickly realized, I was dumb for making that assumption and Erica has proved to be one of the best decisions for the program. She is an expert in networking and knows a majority of the Airmen on base. We talk about the influence she’s had on Airmen’s careers, her own podcast, “Refuel Team Fairchild,” and a variety of other topics to include, Airpower Leadership Academy.

For my first guest here at Fairchild AFB, I spoke to SMSgt Brandon Geeslin, who goes by Goose. Goose is a member of Security Forces and leads 180 people every day. I met Goose through the Air Power Leadership Academy here at Fairchild in September of this year. He is the one person in the class room that nobody seems to mind when he starts to share a lengthy story. He holds the attention with each person every time he begins to share one of his stories. I ask him to retell some of my favorite stories he’s shared with the class. We later talk about the Natural Law. The Natural Law is an influence concept that suggests people only take action or change their behaviors when they can see exactly how it is in their best interest to do so. Guiding people to help them see how their actions or a behavior change is required is a difficult task to accomplish. This conversation is about 3 hours in length and we talk about a cluster of different topics. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Now, enjoy the story of Goose.

Morgan Weibel and I got to Kunsan Air Base around the same time in the Summer of 2020. MM is one of the first USMC air traffic controllers to work at Kunsan with the Air Force and acquire ratings across the entire facility. Before starting my podcast, I had all the equipment ordered and Sgt Weibel thought it was an interesting hobby that I was getting into. He always showed an interest in being a guest and we finally found a time to make it happen. We talk about the difference between the USMC and USAF and his experiences working with the Air Force for the last twelve months. We talk about our branches of services, some things he would change, and we also just talk as two friends would.

Episode #13 is the new Command Chief of Kunsan Air Base, Wolf Chief #24, CMSgt Thomas Schaefer. Chief Schaefer recently arrived to Kunsan Air Base from Nellis AFB. Chief prioritizes developing Airmen and this line of effort provided me with an opportunity to speak to him yesterday to discuss the Airpower Leadership Academy. At the end of the meeting, I told him I leave Korea in a week and if he has time for a podcast, I would love to host him. He checked his calendar and said, “what about tomorrow?” Today I ask why he joined the Air Force after graduating with a Criminal Sociology degree from the University of Arizona and I ask what he did for almost two years prior to enlisting. He shares a moment from 23 years ago when he was about 23-years old. His manager offered him a promotion at the grocery store he was working at. Instead of accepting the manager’s offer, he decided right then, in that moment, that he wanted to join the military and resigned. He talks about his four kids and the support his wife, CMSgt Diane Schaefer gave him when he was offered this position as a Command Chief. This is his second assignment with Kunsan’s current Wing Commander, Colonel John Gallemore. We talk about what makes a good team and working relationship. I ask him what things, if any would he change within the Air Force and he had some really good suggestions that I could get behind. Towards the end we talk about his top mentors throughout his career. He lists people off and we make an observation as to what all four of his mentors have in common.

Episode #12 is SMSgt Craig French, the current Kunsan Defender Shirt. Craig and I met through similar interests around the base. He attended a few classes of the Airpower Leadership Academy and will be an instructor for the upcoming class. Craig and I share many similar interests. We both like Coors Light, always have our own Koozie, have read many of the same books, enjoy running, and we’re both Tom Brady fans. I ask him what life as a first sergeant in Kunsan is like. Craig goes on to explain how he loves his job and would do it for free. He loves it so much that he has extended as a first sergeant and I try to get him to explain what it is about that job that he loves so much. He suggests some good books and movies that are must reads and watches. My favorite part of this discussion was when he talks about General Mattis and how organizations should be more like gangs.

Today for episode #11 I spoke to Kim Song Jin, my Korean Air Force teammate. Jin arrived to Kunsan shortly after me in July of 2020 and over this year we have shared many experiences. Work, dinner, drinking, hooches, karaoke, and camping. He is one of the first two Koreans to train in the Kunsan RAPCON. Jin makes my life and the life of all RAPCON air traffic controllers stationed at Kunsan so much easier because he enriches our experience within Korea, translates for us at work, and translates for us out of work through phone calls. Because I know Jin and because Steve Jobs invented the iPhone I can have conversations with any Korean at any time. Jin and I talk about his experience working with Americans, we talk about my favorite book “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” and we talk about his upcoming wedding with his fiancé, Sally.

Robert Patrick Grady is guest #10. It was fun to talk to my supervisor, Chief Clark during episode #7 and switching it up to talk to a subordinate was just as fun in its own unique way. Grady has frequently told me that he is glad I’m his supervisor and every time he does, I am always happy to hear it. Simple words of appreciation remind me that even though I mess up and far from perfect, the people who matter most think I’m doing good. His display of appreciation makes me want to try even harder to get him involved in the things that he shows an interest in and push him towards the things that I believe the Air Force values. I ask him as his supervisor, what is one thing I’ve done right and something I need to improve on. Grady talks about what it is like joining the Air Force as a 26-year-old. We attempt to discuss the new ATC Ethos, Develop the Force, Deliver Capabilities, and Dominate Command and Control. During the final question that I ask all air traffic controllers, for the first time, I am finally picked.