Have a Tisue

Prior to this podcast Keara and I were celebrating at the base club with many of her friends and co-workers because she was just selected to the rank of Master Sergeant (MSgt). MSgt is a big step in an enlisted member’s career and she is very deserving of being selected. In episode #3, I said that Keara will be my boss one day and I can say it with even more certainty now that her and I are the same rank.  Episode #3 was one of my favorites because the entire time I was talking to a friend about stories and topics that we both enjoy. It’s been a month since our first podcast together and over the last few weeks she floated the idea of another podcast where her and I switch roles. I was immediately open to the idea and couldn’t say no when she wanted to do it the same evening as her MSgt release party. For the first time in any of my podcasts, we had a live audience of two people sitting in the same room as us watching my guest and I talk. Talking to Keara was just as fun this time for me as it was last time. I did much more talking on this podcast than any of my podcasts before this. Keara got me to realize that my favorite color is blue, my favorite animal is a dog, and that everybody knows I don’t like making plans… I really, really, don’t like making plans. She even had me build my perfect air traffic controller at the end which is a question I like to do with all of my air traffic control guests. 

Keara, thanks for letting me feel what it’s like to be on the other side of my own podcast. You should start your own podcast when you get to England, you’d be good at it. Congrats on making MSgt and please invite me to your Chief Induction ceremony in six years.

My guest today for episode #8 is CMSgt Andy Shone. Chief Shone is the current Defender Chief at Kunsan Air Base. This podcast in itself is unique because it is the first time, I interviewed someone that I had not previously spent time with prior to the podcast. I was fortunate that there are plenty of Security Forces airmen on base that knew him and shared information about him with me prior to our podcast. One of his Tech Sergeants said, “Chief Shone is known for giving motivational speeches to get people fired up as if it was halftime at a football game.” Through the help of his Security Forces Airmen, Chief Shone and I were able to have a good conversation.

Chief Shone had a lot of experience and ideas to share. He is an avid reader and shares a couple of his favorite books. I asked him how he motivates airmen within the challenging career field of Security Forces. We talk about thinking critically and self-reflecting. One SNCO told me that Chief Shone is a great listener, so I asked him how he developed that skill and maintained it throughout the ranks while everyone is looking to him to provide answers. He shares a story about recognizing his facial expressions as a SNCO and realizing how his behaviors were making him unapproachable to his team. When I started this podcast, I wanted to focus on identifying leadership concepts and behaviors to adopt and become better from it. This 90-minute conversation hits what my vision was when I began.

My guest today is CMSgt Kendell Clark, the current Wizard Chief and RAPCON Chief Controller at Kunsan Air Base. This is my second assignment with Chief Clark as we spent a year at Osan together. Chief Clark has been in the Air Force for 27 years and today he shared his insightful thoughts and experiences. He recognizes some of the ways that he has changed and became better throughout his years of Air Force and life experience. For anyone that doesn’t make it past the halfway point of this podcast, Chief Clark says that he welcomes and appreciates it when someone of any rank comes directly to him and tells him a problem with an organizational policy or within the facility.

He brings up his mentor, CMSgt Scott Rawlings a couple times during the podcast. Towards the end we try to uncover what made Chief Rawlings his top mentor. I conclude that it is the individual investment Chief Rawlings has towards select individuals. However, this is purely an assumption and I hope one day I can get a few minutes of Chief Rawlings’ time to ask him some questions and figure out what he attributes to be his best assets as a leader.

Chief Clark and I discuss his upbringing, golf, why people always root for underdogs, the direction he wants to see our career field go towards, benefits of having Korean Air Force air traffic controllers and United Stated States Marine Corps air traffic controllers train alongside the United States Air Force at Kunsan, and much more.

James Lankford is Have a Tisue Podcast guest #6. Prior to the start of this podcast, we knew we had exactly two hours before his going away was scheduled to begin at the base club. We wanted to have one last conversation together before he leaves South Korea and the two of us go our separate ways.

In the military, it’s an interesting feeling when one member is leaving their assignment and starting a new chapter of their life. Kids who grew up in the Department of Defense school system are familiar with this unique feeling. It’s something that happens all too often and we become immune to the fact that we may never see this person again. These people are people we grew bonds with and shared our most monumental experiences over the last months or years together. Although these were our final moments together, neither of us mention or acknowledge it during the entirety of this two-hour conversation or later on at his going away.

JR is one of those rare people who aspires to live life according to their own values. At just 24 years old, JR is well-travelled, highly successful in the eyes of the Air Force, always found ways to participate in his hobbies, and reached all of his goals during his 5 ½ year career. We talk about favorite books and up until this podcast occurred, I had no idea that we shared the same favorite book.

JR and I talk about our travel experiences. We share favorite travel destinations and recognize the unexplainable bond you make with foreign strangers who are also travelling. During a 3-week trip to Bali he explains how he made some very close friends and I could say the same about my 6-day camping trip in Spain. Traveling is JR’s passion and through his stories this is easy to pick up on.

JR is his own person and anyone that knows him can see that. JR shares that when he was younger, he was always concerned about what people thought of him and he shares the steps he took to stop caring. We consider how positive the world could be if everybody alive was not judgmental on how others looked or behaved. This podcast shares JR’s experiences of South Korea and he shows gratitude for the people he met during his time in the Air Force.

Have a Tisue Podcast Guest #5 is CMSgt Select Andrew Kehl. Chief Kehl is the Kunsan Fire Department Fire Chief and rose to the rank of Chief in just 18 years active duty. Chief Kehl goes by AJ and is a man of many unique hobbies. AJ was a contributing factor to me starting this podcast as he had his own podcast at one point that lasted 20 episodes. He aided me along with Brian Belford in shopping for podcast supplies on Amazon when I asked him for help in February. During this podcast we talk about his published book, My Rich Uncle: An Informal Guide to Maximizing Your Enlistment. In his words, it’s a book that “keeps it real” about the Air Force. It also describes some leadership ideas and strategies for promotion, if that is what is important to you. We talk about a moment that I observed called “Fire Chief for a Day.” AJ had an A1C hold his duty title and wear his Fire Chief patch for an entire day, just so the young airman could see what goes on in the Fire Department at a larger scale. The airmen later briefed about 30 other fire fighters on what he learned during that day. I reflect on the idea and consider bringing it into the air traffic control world with our younger airmen. AJ talks about never winning an award until his 15-year mark in the Air Force. The award he finally won, ended up being one of the biggest awards an Air Force member can win. AJ was recognized as one of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year. He talks about that experience and the opportunities that came from that award. AJ has a lot of experience, lots of certifications, and lots of followers. He shares a lot of useful and insightful information. I thoroughly enjoyed the two hours and I hope anyone else who listens does too.

Andrew King, who goes by the nickname Roscoe is Have a Tisue Podcast guest #4. I know Roscoe from around the base and we are both instructors for the Airpower Leadership Academy. He is friendly, funny, outgoing, and loves to talk. He showed interest in my Podcast and on being a potential guest. I asked him what he’d want to talk about and I was surprised by his immediate response. Coping, dealing with stress, courage to get help, and taking care of people were the answers he provided.

As we discuss these topics, we agree that pride and uncertainty of career repercussions make people hesitant to ask for help. It quickly becomes apparent that both of us are uncertain of the different avenues people have to get help. As supervisors we are expected to understand and know these things to assist our people. It is embarrassing how little the two of us actually knew.

Realizing my own short fall, I coordinated with another friend on base, Anita Garcia-McClintock. Anita works at Mental Health and gave me an hour of her time to explain to me the many avenues’ people have. I took a bunch of notes and at the end of this podcast, I will explain the information that I learned from Anita. The next two hours are Roscoe’s stories on coping, life, and as always, a couple leadership ideas and philosophies thrown in the mix.

Keara Fraser is Have a Tisue Podcast guest #3. Keara Fraser is one of, if not the most natural leaders and hardest working people I have ever encountered. We discuss what elements make people so willing to work for her. As a member of her facility, I see people willingly working themselves to death to accomplish things that she requests. They all do this willingly and she helps them in any way that she can. I’d like to say that Keara reminds me of myself when I was an Air traffic control crew boss, but the truth is she is better. On episode #1 of Have a Tisue podcast, we talked about SrA Anthony Brown and how leadership is often displayed by people that are younger or lower ranking than us. Keara is 3 years younger and for now, one rank lower. She’s one of those people that I expect to pass me in rank over the upcoming years and when she does, I’ll be happy about it. Keara identifies some of the best work environments she has been a part of and together we try to figure out what makes those work environments so special. We deliberate that if we could identify and then replicate those unique characteristics, we could make people want to wake up and go to work. We could inspire job-satisfaction within our airmen or employees and increase productivity within every organization. Keara and I talk about a variety of topics, we reflect on a few stories from our time at Moody and Kunsan, and we have a few laughs along the way.

My guest today on Have a Tisue Podcast is Gene Tschida. Gene is a recent SMSgt select for EOD and within weeks of going home to see his family for the first time in almost a year. He is also one of my favorite people at Kunsan. We have many similar interests in life, sports, and recreational activities. We both find enjoyment through leadership books and discussions. This similar passion is what led our paths to cross through a mutual friend, Derek Pace. Gene established a unique leadership discussion forum here at Kunsan air base called Air Power Leadership Academy. For 10 weeks NCOs and SNCOs meet to discuss fundamental topics to share experiences and develop leadership skills. I was fortunate enough to sit in on the first course and Gene gave me the opportunity to be the director for the second course as he heads to Langley AFB. We share whiskey during our conversation. One bottle I gifted to him for making Senior and another bottle a friend of mine brought back to me from his trip to Japan. About 80 minutes into our conversation, I assumed we had both said everything we wanted to say. In this moment, Gene reminds me why I am fond of this podcast platform. I start moving towards wrapping things up and he stops me--offering more. The next 60 minutes, Gene shares some of his private stories that he wouldn’t tell most people within the first few months of knowing them. Even I was unaware of the experiences Gene endured during his deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gene shares stories about his worst days on the job. He shares an experience that most of us will fortunately never have to experience for ourselves. I hope you enjoy Have a Tisue Podcast, episode #2, blowing things up with Gene.

Today, for episode #1 I got the chance to speak to Command CMSgt Ronnie Woods, the 23rd Wolf Chief of Kunsan Air Base. For those of you who are not veterans of the Air Force, the Command Chief is typically the most senior enlisted position of his or her base. CMSgt Woods talks about his routine and the daily life and expectations of a Chief in his position.

We talk about Chief’s ideas on leadership. The discussion leads us to the late 90s and the second supervisor of his career at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. Chief Woods credits SrA Anthony Brown for saving his career and inspiring him to not be strictly business at work. To lead from the human element. The story of SrA Brown is an example that leadership does not only come from the most experienced, or oldest, or highest-ranking individuals of an organization. Leadership characteristics and life altering inspiration can come from all tiers within an organization. This includes the youngest and the lowest ranking.

Wolf Chief and I talk about the book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith. A book he claimed to be one of his favorites and suggested that I read. I found the book interesting as it examined leadership through a different lens.

The traditional way that people learn and improve their leadership capabilities is through emulating people they admire, reading, and being attentive to their behaviors. Most books suggest concepts such as improving self-awareness or showing compassion and empathy for people. This book takes a different approach to being a better leader. This book identifies some of the most natural human characteristics you and I do on a daily basis that pushes people away from us. This book doesn’t suggest more leadership ideas to apply in your daily life. This book identifies the things we must stop doing to be a better leader and person at work or at home.

Our discussion lasts just over an hour and a half. I feel honored that the Command Chief accepted my invitation to be the first guest on my show. I am extremely grateful that Chief Woods found the time to have this discussion with me and was willing to share his life experience with me and all who are willing to listen. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him talk and I’m hopeful I am not the only one who gained something from these 90 minutes.