Telephone Switch Technician selected for INNERView Published June 1, 2010 By Public Affairs DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- *INNERView is a special spotlight for members of Team Dobbins who don't always get recognized for the outstanding work they accomplish on the job and outside the gates. If you would like to nominate someone, call 94th Public Affairs at 678-655-5055* Name: Gary O. Hanson How long have you been at Dobbins? About 13 months What is your official job title? Telephone Switch Technician What does your job entail? Maintaining the 10,000 line telephone switch that services Dobbins Air Reserve Base. I make sure dial tone, voicemail and all other phone services are provided to all Dobbins employees. What is your favorite part of your job? Interacting with customers. It's always interesting. You would be surprised at some of the phone calls I receive from customers. How is family life? I commute from Warner Robins so I miss some things at home, but life is good. What do you do to relax after work or on your weekends? During the week I play softball. I'm currently on a team here at Dobbins. On the weekends just doing things around the house and watch sports. Usual guy stuff. What makes Dobbins different from any other base? The reserve community as a whole is different from what I was accustomed to. I was at Robins Air Force Base for the last 5 years of my military career and even though that is the Reserve Command base I was in Combat Comm, a tenant unit so we weren't really involved with a lot of the base. The reserves operate a lot differently than active duty. How long did you serve in the military? What was the highest rank you achieved? I was active duty Air Force for 23 years and retired as a Master Sgt. I also served as a first sergeant. As a first sergeant, what was the biggest challenge? Two things; one was helping Airmen understand that the Air Force is much more than a job. It's a commitment that doesn't have a conventional "quitting time". Second, getting some non-commissioned officers to understand that their airmen were more than just bodies. Mission accomplishment is always priority number one, but the mission cannot be achieved without the people.
