Page 6 - March ARB Beacon 2-12-16

6 February 12, 2016 www.aerotechnews.com/marcharb
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New March Airman sworn in by SMC commander

by Senior Master Sgt. Glen S. Jimenez
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LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE - EL SEGUN- 86$LU)RUFHSKRWR9DQ+D
DO, Calif. -- On a sunny January afternoon, Jennie
Ines was standing outside the Gordon Conference /W*HQ6DPXHO*UHDYHV6SDFHDQG0LVVLOH6\VWHPV&HQWHUFRPPDQGHUDQG$LU)RUFHSURJUDPH[HFXWLYH
Center, waiting patiently for someone to exit. Specifi- RI¿FHUIRUVSDFHVKDUHVDOLJKWPRPHQWZLWK$LU)RUFH5HVHUYHUHFUXLW-HQQLH,QHVSULRUWREHJLQQLQJDQLP
cally, she was waiting for Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, SURPSWXRDWKRIHQOLVWPHQWFHUHPRQ\-DQ7KHHYHQWWUDQVSLUHGDVWKHUHVXOWRIDFKDQFHPHHWLQJ
commander of the Space and Missile Systems Cen- WKHSUHYLRXV'HFHPEHUE\WKH([FKDQJHDW/RV$QJHOHV$LU)RUFH%DVHLQ(O6HJXQGR&DOLI
ter and Air Force program executive officer for space,
to ask him a question that would normally be out of California. Only one detail remained for her to begin SMC; enlisted, officers, contractors and civilians gath-
range for most people: “Would you swear me in to the her journey--the enlistment ceremony into the Air ered together to witness Ines “solemnly swear to sup-
United States Air Force Reserve?” Force Reserve. port and defend the Constitution of the United States”
and become the Air Force’s newest Airman.
The story began in December 2015 outside the Ines remembered the conversation with Greaves,
Exchange at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. his insight and openness in taking the time to discuss “What you’ve done is pledge your support, not to
Airman First Class Eric Ines, an Air National guards- the Air Force and decided she wanted him to swear her me, not to them ... but an oath to defend the Constitu-
man who recently graduated from the Information in on her enlistment. As Greaves exited the Gordon tion -- an oath to do what is right in the interest of the
Management Technical School at Keesler Air Force Conference Center following a luncheon, he recog- nation,” said Greaves as he explained the purpose of
Base, Mississippi, was shopping with his father and nized Ines and walked over to greet her. Much to his the enlistment oath to Ines.
sister Jennie while on leave and en-route to his first surprise, the new recruit asked Greaves to take time
duty station. At first sight of Greaves approaching out of his busy schedule and do her the honor of enlist- With some parting words, photos and a new men-
him, the Airman immediately snapped to attention to ing her into the service. tor, Ines begins her journey of serving alongside fel-
greet the three-star general. low Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and
On Jan. 21, the William Maikish conference room Marines to defend this nation.
Following a series of exchanges, the younger Ines was filled with men and women from throughout
asked the general what it is like to serve in the Air
Force. Greaves took the time to give his opinion of
serving in the military, discussing the positives and the
challenges that are faced through maintaining a bal-
ance of work and family.

What followed next included a tour of the Schriever
Space Complex by the SMC commander with the Ines
family. The tour concluded at the new historical dis-
play of Gen. Bernard Schriever, considered the father
of military space, to try to connect from the past to the
present and instill in Airman Ines his new role in the
Total Force Concept of today’s military.

Unbeknownst to Greaves, the younger Ines took the
tour and conversations to heart and decided to enlist
and serve alongside her brother in the Air Force Re-
serve. She then contacted Master Sgt. Charles Wan-
dzilak, an Air Force Reserve recruiter with the 61st
Force Support Squadron at Los Angeles AFB, took the
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test and
selected Security Forces as her career field of choice.

She received her first assignment to the 452nd Se-
curity Forces Squadron at March Air Reserve Base,