Page 2 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 7-10-15

2 Desert Wings Commentary July 10, 2015
www.aerotechnews.com/edwardsafb
facebook.com/EdwardsDesertWings

Who am I? Who are you? Who are we?
by Master Sgt. Loren Cossette who we are as professionals and rep- basic military training, officer training
Eglin AFB, Fla. resents the group within the Air Force school, ROTC, or the Air Force Acad-
with which we most closely identify. It emy, each of us earned this title and be-
What’s your job? Over the years, shapes our interactions with others, our came part of one of the greatest teams
I’ve been asked this question countless opinions of others and lays a founda- in history. We learned our Core Values
times whether it be while in-processing tion for our professional identity and and of Airmanship.
new units, deploying, attending profes- the developmental path which we fol-
sional military education, or while par- low. The lessons we learned formed the
ticipating in various panels. foundation for our careers and our ser-
This identification establishes our vice which, combined with hundreds of
The answers are as numerous and priorities and focuses our efforts. The thousands of our fellow Airmen, forms
varied as the titles in the Air Force. For answer we give unites us with those the backbone of Airpower. As we stood
most of us, the answer is easy. I am close to us, but slowly begins to di- at a graduation parade or graduate cere-
a first sergeant; I am a maintainer; I vide us from those outside of our work mony, we each felt the greatest sense of
am security forces; I am admin; I center, our squadron, our group, or our pride in what we had accomplished. For
work communications; I am a dental career field. Simply, we begin promot- many of us, it was a defining moment in
tech. It’s a simple question with a sim- ing a specialty-centric mindset and our lives, and it felt great!
ple answer. But, could there be more eventually forget who we are.
to this question and could our answers I remember calling my friends
reflect a deeper, more significant mean- We are Airmen. More importantly, Airman for the first time and being
ing? we are Airmen first. For many of us, it’s called Airman. We couldn’t say it
been years and years since we earned
How we answer this question reflects the title of Airman. Whether it was at See AIRMAN, Page 4

Let’s talk: difference between talking, effective communication

by Master Sgt. Demetrius Best As leaders, it is our responsibility and me in that often times after a conversation, she will ask
Mountain Home AFB, Idaho me if I understood what we just spoke about. She does
duty to effectively give our Airmen di- not ask the question to belittle me or question my compe-
Nobel Prize winning playwright George Bernard tence, she asks to ensure I understand. Most importantly,
Shaw wrote “The single biggest problem in communi- rect, clear and actionable feedback. she asks to ensure her intentions and directions are clear
cation is the illusion that it has taken place.” Through- to me. In my opinion this is the essence of clear and ef-
out my years in the Air Force I’ve learned many great through the chain of command and ensures the intended fective communication.
lessons about effective communication. message is delivered accurately, and on-time to the in-
tended audience. The human element of effective communication cannot
By my own admission, I never considered myself to be be overstated. As a flight chief, I spend a lot of my days
a great communicator. Everyone who knows me knows Effective communication is a two-way street and in- doing administrative tasks, fielding and disseminating
that I love talking and sharing stories, but there is a dif- cludes active listening, which means listening with all information from my leaders down to my flight. One
ference between speaking and effective communication. senses. Active listening gives your full undivided atten- thing that I’ve noticed is that face-to-face conversation
It encompasses a set of skills including: nonverbal com- tion to the speaker and lets the speaker know you are has a significant impact. For example, about 95 percent
munication, the ability to communicate assertively, the engaged and in tune with the message. of the questions my Airmen have get answered on the
ability to understand your emotions and the emotions of spot. This shows my Airmen that I’m accessible and not
the person you are communicating with. In the military, My mentor is very direct in her communication with
communication requires an exchange of ideas that go See TALK, Page 4

Commander’s
Action Line

email: speak2cc@edwards.af.mil

The Commander’s Action Line gives all Airmen, re-
tirees, families and community members a direct link to
Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer, 412th Test Wing commander.
The Action Line can be used to express constructive
points of view on the policies and procedures of the
base; discuss safety and security issues; and address
problems, concerns, or suggestions after traditional
methods have been exhausted.

The Commander’s Action Line should not be the
first action taken to resolve an issue. Those seeking
a remedy to a problem should first follow the chain
of command and take up the matter with the office of
primary responsibility, supervisors, first sergeants or
commanders.

Action Line queries may be submitted by sending an
e-mail to speak2cc@edwards.af.mil with Commander’s
Action Line as the subject heading or by calling (661)
277-7325. Action Line submissions must be written in
a courteous and professional tone, and must include a
name, an e-mail address or an alternative method of
contact. The requestor’s contact information will not be
published in compliance with Privacy Act restrictions.
Any messages received without contact information will
not be routed, so please be sure to provide some method
for communication.