Page 2 - Nellis Creech NTTR Bullseye 3-25-16

2 March 25, 2016
www.aerotechnews.com/nellisafb
Be the ‘Wolf’
By Col. Robert Novotny
48th Fighter Wing commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH,
England — There are three meetings I
attend every week, and they’re the most
important meetings in my current job.
The first is wing stand-up, held three
days a week, where we cover the status of
our aircrew, pararescuemen, all 81 combat
aircraft, the airfield, communications and
logistics. Our mission is simple — deliver
precise combat power from the air — and
stand-up sets the tone. This, my most im-
portant meeting, lasts about 20 minutes,
except when we fold in weekly intelligence
updates, which adds 10 more.
My second important meeting is the
Empowerment: More than just a word
By Airman 1st Class Ryan Sparks
319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE,
N.D. — I am a first-term Airman at Grand
Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. I
am approaching one year time on station
and getting close to achieving the next
skill level in my job. At this stage in my
career, my number one focus is on train-
ing and mastering my job. All Airmen are
expected to “check the boxes” in order to
complete their training, but how those
boxes are checked is a matter of opinion.
I’ve always been the type of person
that looks for new ideas and new ways to
approach old procedures. The question is
will I be empowered to implement any
of my ideas?
Empowerment is probably one of the
most commonly used words in the busi-
ness world and that is the case in the Air
Force as well. We always hear leaders talk
about empowering our Airmen to suc-
ceed, but what does that empowerment
really look like?
One of my first big stories after my
arrival was about a group of Airmen
working together to train for battlefield
Bullseye News Staff
Paul Kinison, Publisher, Aerotech News and Review
Barry Anderson, Advertising Sales
Karl Dean, Advertising Sales
Stuart Ibberson, Editor
Tinna Sellie, Editorial Layout
CONTACT: Advertising Sales (702) 876-4589
For display ads: e-mail barryanderson@aerotechnews.com
or e-mail KarlDean@aerotechnews.com of the products or services advertised.
For classified ads: e-mail classifieds@aerotechnews.com
CONTACT: Editorial Staff (702) 876-4039
For editorial staff: e-mail bullseye@aerotechnews.com
Commentary
newcomers welcome, held every Tuesday
morning. There are no slides. The com-
mand chief and I speak to all base new-
comers for only 30 minutes. It’s important
because everyone needs to “hear it from the
horse’s mouth” about how important the
Liberty Wing is to the national security of
the United States and NATO. We don’t talk
about DUIs, reflective belts or policy letters.
We talk about the mission of the wing.
The final important meeting is on
Thursdays, when I have lunch with our
First-Term Airmen Center, (FTAC), gradu-
ates. After a few days of base indoctrination
and adjustment, the command chief and I
eat lunch with the FTAC Airmen to, again,
“hear it from the horse’s mouth.” I talk
for about 10 minutes, and the remaining
Airmen career fields. It was great story
idea and I had a general plan of action,
but I wasn’t truly prepared for the story.
My coworker, Senior Airman Xavier
Navarro, mentioned that we had under-
water camera gear. He taught me how to
use it and gave me some ideas to think
about for the story. While he liked my
original idea, he pushed me to develop
it into an even greater story.
My main interest involves our social
media strategy. To have a successful
Public Affairs shop we must embrace
the population’s dependence on social
media. At almost every shop meeting,
I started pitching different approaches
and ways we could improve. Staff Sgt.
Brian Economides noticed my enthu-
siasm and expertise on the subject and
suggested that I take over our social
media plan with him as my supervisor.
He empowered me to make decisions and
learn from our successes and failures. I
had only been out of technical school for
approximately six months and was given
the opportunity to truly affect change in
my office. I definitely had several ideas
that were flops, but being able to learn
and experiment allowed me to grow as
The Bullseye is published by Aerotech News and Review, available for purchase and use of patronage without regard
a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital
under exclusive written contract with Nellis Air Force
Base, Nev. Contents of the Bullseye are not necessarily the non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.
official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the
Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force.
The appearance of advertising in this publication,
including inserts and supplements, does not constitute
an endorsement by the Department of Defense, the
Department of the Air Force or Aerotech News and Review
Everything advertised in the publication shall be made
The Bullseye newspaper can also be viewed online @ www.aerotechnews.com
Printed by Aerotech News and Review, Inc. (877) 247-9288 * www.aerotechnews.com
50-minute lunch is spent answering ques-
tions and dispelling rumors. I want them
to know exactly how to make a good first
impression and how their individual ac-
tions impact the wing’s mission.
During a recent FTAC lunch, I was
asked a well-meant question by a young
Airman, however, it was actually quite
disappointing. Essentially, this Airman
asked if there were any volunteer activi-
ties that the chief and I could point him
toward so he could highlight himself for
below-the-zone promotion consideration.
Regrettably, this was not the first time I’d
been asked a question about “extracur-
ricular activities” that might be regarded
for promotion or advancement. About half
of his lunch-mate’s ears perked up, while
a public affairs professional and gain
confidence as a new Airman.
My most ambitious idea was to launch
an account on the social media platform
Vine. Very few, if any, bases are currently
using this platform because one of its
biggest appeals is the use of comedy.
We are still learning and exploring all
of our options, but the important theme
to recognize is that I have been placed
in a position to have ideas and see them
through from start to finish.
It’s important to realize that empower-
ment isn’t just about letting people run
with their ideas, but instead challenging
them to develop their ideas and providing
the mentorship needed to succeed. Every
idea I’ve pitched has been returned with
questions and ideas to help me think more
critically. For example, I wanted to invest
in a social media management tool called
Hootsuite because I believed it would al-
low us to save time when posting content.
I was given the challenge of researching,
testing and compiling data that would
support my belief. I learned how impor-
tant it is to be detailed and thorough when
presenting new information.
Why do all these examples matter?
status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other
The deadline for submissions to the Bullseye is
no later than Wednesday, 4:30 p.m., one week prior
to desired publication date. Briefs are due no later
than Wednesday, 3 p.m. one week prior to desired
publication date. Articles must also be submitted no
later than Wednesday, 4:30 p.m., one week prior to
desired publication date unless the editor provides
an exception to a late-breaking story or article, and
BULLSEYE
Facebook.com/NellisBullseye
the other half had expressions of disdain.
I waited a few seconds to respond.
My answer was simple: “Stop! Wrap
yourself in the mission, and become the
wolf.” He looked at me confused, so I went
on to explain. Volunteerism or extracur-
ricular activities are exactly the things I
am not looking for. Instead, I want this
young American to dive, headfirst, into
their new job. Become the very best Air-
man: skilled, motivated, optimistic and
aggressive about getting the mission done.
In my opinion, raising your right hand
at basic military training satisfies the
volunteerism category for a good couple
of years.
___________ See WOLF, on page 6
These examples show how empowerment
can be used to train and help Airmen
gain a better understanding of the pro-
cesses necessary to affect change. I feel
that I have been blessed with a group of
servant leaders. From Senior Airman
Bonnie Grantham telling me about a
great study tool for my career develop-
ment courses to 1st Lt. James Fisher
showing me the process of applying to
officer training school, I have a team
that cares about my development as an
Airman. They have empowered me to
succeed and my recent selection as Senior
Airman Below-the-Zone is a product of
their support.
The Air Force needs as many servant
leaders as possible. They make it their
goal to lift up their Airmen and put them
in a position to succeed. Dictionary.com
defines empowerment as, “to give power
or authority to.” I define it as finding
satisfaction in the success of your em-
ployees. If your goal is for your Airmen
to succeed, then you will empower them
to become great. Allow your Airmen
to become the great leaders that every
member of the United States Air Force
is expected to be.
articles must include a byline (author of the story).
For all submissions, a name and phone number of a
person to contact must be included in the event questions
arise.
All material is edited for accuracy, brevity, clarity
and conformity to the Associated Style Guide, to include
military ranks and proper writing etiquette.
Corrections: The Bullseye staff members strive for
accuracy each week. If you notice an error in fact, contact
the Bullseye staff at (702) 876-4039, or e-mail bullseye@
aerotechnews.com, and we will consider publishing a
correction when appropriate.