DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- As the 94th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Commander, I spend a great deal of time greeting newcomers to our unit. I do my best to help them be successful, and make the most of each and every Unit Training Assembly.
I would like to share 10 tips. By no means is this an all-inclusive list, but rather some professional advice I’ve accrued while serving 25 years in our Air Force:
Be on time and show up prepared
For a successful UTA you must show up on time Saturday morning, wearing the uniform correctly, and ready to get your hands dirty.
Show your supervision you are motivated and anxious to add value to the organization
Show me someone who shows up and merely goes through the motions each month and I’ll show you someone who likely won’t be promoted again.
Take your training very personally
Don’t be satisfied with your UTA until you have spent time on Air Force Specialty Code training and annotate that in your training records. Take your upgrade training as personally as you would your paycheck each month. It is likely you will complain to someone I you didn’t get paid for your duty. You should be equally upset if you didn’t get any AFSC training accomplished.
Don’t neglect your health requirements
If you are not physically qualified to deploy, you’re not fulfilling your role as an Airman. Understand the various medical requirements due each month and ensure they’re accomplished. If you can’t deploy, you need to find yourself a new line of work. The first disqualifier for a deployment is often an avoidable medical issue; don’t be that guy!
Stay physically fit and ready to pass an Air Force Physical Fitness Test
As Reservists, not many of us have someone to monitor our fitness and diet. Passing the AF PFT is a requirement to wear this uniform, if you have questions regarding how best to prepare, contact your unit health monitor. You must put forth the effort necessary to pass!
Keep track of what you do from one UTA to the next
When it’s time to write your next performance report or award package, it makes it easier for your supervisor if you’ve kept track of what you did throughout the year. Take notes of your training and accomplishments each and every UTA and annual tour.
Get your Community College of the Air Force degree accomplished in a timely manner
Don’t wait to start working on your CCAF until you actually need it, it may be too late at that point and you may be overlooked for an opportunity that would otherwise have been yours! You can have your bachelor’s degree, even your masters, but I’ve seen folks with both get passed over for promotion because they hadn’t yet accomplished that all-important CCAF.
Get your Professional Military Education accomplished as soon as possible
Just like your CCAF, if you wait until you need your PME, you may be too late. Have your PME accomplished for your rank well before you actually need it. Many people hear these terrible words each month “we would like to promote you next month, but we can’t until you’ve got your PME done!” Don’t be that guy either.
Volunteer yourself for what others don’t want to do
Effective leaders and followers alike do what others don’t want to do without being prompted. Just sweeping the floor without being told to can differentiate you from your peers and set you up for a promotion you wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Leave your stand-up comedy routines at home
Over the decades of my service I’ve seen and heard many an Airman complain about something that was said or done that offended them. They were right to stand up and voice their displeasure. We all should when someone says or does something offensive. When you’re wearing a uniform and doing the work of the Air Force, there’s little room for standup routines. The chances of you offending someone with something you thought would be funny is much higher than you may realize. The class clown is often the guy who ends up in the most trouble. My advice - keep your conversation centered on the Air Force and leave the jokes to the professionals.
As mentioned earlier, this is by no means an all-inclusive list, but these are some important tips I share with newcomers. Nail these ten items, add ten more of your own, and the sky is the limit!