Page 8 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt March 3 2017
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8 March 2017 NEWS Thunderbolt
www.aerotechnews.com/lukeaf b http://www.luke.af.mil
England Southwest Asia Southeast Asia
The 100th Operation Support Squad- Members of the Royal Australian The 386th Expeditionary Security Forces
ron at Royal Air Force Mildenhall air force and U.S. Air Force re- Squadron provided fly-away security
received a request for KC-135 Strato- cently constructed 4,000-pounds teams that protect both the aircraft and
tankers Feb. 9 to provide communica- of Joint Direct Attack Munitions its crew during 600 sorties into austere
tions between the U.K. coast guard in support of Operation Inherent locations to deliver cargo and personnel
and a stranded ship with 14 passen- Resolve and Operation Okra at an to forward-deployed locations to aid in the
gers, which had been traveling from undisclosed location. Partnering fight against the ISIS.
the Azores heading toward the U.K. nations contribute in the disman-
when disaster struck. tling of the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant in nearly every
Germany aspect of OIR.
A contingent of Army AH-64 Apache he-
licopters, delivered by two Air Mobility
Command C-5M Super Galaxies, arrived
at Ramstein Air Base Feb. 22 in support
of Operation Atlantic Resolve. OAR is
a tangible demonstration of the United
States’ commitment to maintaining peace
and stability in the region.
Chief shares ‘Top 10’ lessons learned over career
by Maj. know about all the decorations and ac- Tech. Sgt. Louis Vega Jr.
ELIZABETH MAGNUSSON colades you have – they want to know you
– the person. Col. Kurt Gallegos and Col. Bryan Cook, 944th Fighter Wing commander and vice
944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs commander, present a shadow box to Chief Master Sgt. Rhonda Hutson, 944th FW
No. 7 – Always be humble, kind and com- command chief, Feb. 12 during her retirement ceremony held at Luke Air Force
The 944th Fighter Wing bid farewell to passionate. Conceit is a very ugly thing, Base.
their command chief as she retired after 27 as nobody is irreplaceable. Everyone you
years in the Air Force in a ceremony Feb. 12 come into contact with today is dealing with
at Luke Air Force Base. something in their lives – keep that in mind.
Chief Master Sgt. Rhonda Hutson, 944th No. 6 – No matter how busy you think
FW command chief, said her tear-filled you are, take that two minutes and talk to
goodbyes to the men and women of the wing another Airman. That two minutes could be
during an emotional ceremony attended by what saves his life.
more than 150 family members, friends and
wing members. No. 5 – Mentorship is an invaluable thing.
If it weren’t for someone taking the time
During the ceremony that highlighted for me, I would have had a very different
her movement up the ranks and her ser- and undesirable ending. Pay that forward
vice to our nation, Hutson shared the top every day.
ten things she learned in her career “David
Letterman†style. No. 4 – Not everyone has the best inten-
tions, but that doesn’t mean you should be
In her words: the same way. Always be true to your heart
No. 10 – Don’t try to fool your supervisor by and yourself. Treat people with respect and
covering up dumb things you’ve done. Own kindness.
your mistakes and work diligently to correct
them. We are all human, but the recovery is No. 3 – There is an epiphany when you
the test of character. In keeping with that realize the difference between when you
theme – words matter, especially when talk- sign on the dotted line and when you truly
ing to senior leaders. Everyone fails. Choosing join the Air Force. For me that was later in
to learn from mistakes and apply that lesson my career, but I challenge you all to think
moving forward that matters. about this.
No. 9 – Success is not a solo act; it comes
from teamwork. You didn’t get to this point No. 2 – Don’t be afraid to share your
in your career by yourself. Make sure you story. Everyone has one lled with rich ex-
thank everyone around you – always. periences. Being brave enough to do so will
No. 8 – Using a quote, “People don’t care enrich others’ lives around you.
how much you know until they know how
much you care.†People want to know you And, the number one thing I’ve learned
genuinely care, and they will go to the ends in my career is that one day your life will
of the earth with you. They don’t want to pass before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth
watching. Savor every moment and live your
life to the fullest. You never know when your
time is up.
