501st CSW guest speaker sets expectations

  • Published
  • By Capt. Brian Maguire
  • 501st Combat Support Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE ALCONBURY, United Kingdom --  The 501st Combat Support Wing blended the heritage of the wing and the future of the Air Force through an unexpected guest speaker at the Annual Awards Ceremony Feb. 3.

In his introduction of the guest speaker, Col. Brian Kelly, 501st CSW commander, spoke of the heritage displayed in the wing's logo, and the symbolism of the griffin used to represent the wing in that logo.

"The griffin exemplifies courage, integrity, and leadership," Kelly said. "Leadership is what sets our award winners apart, it's why we're all here, and our guest speaker will help us to see what our young Airmen expect from their leaders. That is why I am pleased to introduce our guest speaker, an Installation Entry Controller with the 423rd Security Forces Squadron, Airman First Class Nicholas Mylius."

Sharing what he looks for in a leader, and what he expects from leaders such as those in attendance, Mylius provided a unique perspective and a memorable speech.

Describing the traits of a leader from his viewpoint, the list became a recurring theme throughout his speech. The traits included honesty, promisekeeping, follow up, punctuality, motivation, focus, mentorship, responsibility, example setting, encouragement, support, teaching, selflessness, understanding, and on and on.

As an example of how these traits were embodied by leaders he has experienced in his year and nine days in the Air Force, Mylius spoke of three specific Airmen: his recruiter, his military training instructors and a fellow Airman standing post at the gate.

Describing his first encounters with each of these Airmen, Mylius highlighted how the Airmen exhibited the traits he'd described. The recruiter exhibited honesty when Mylius first walked into the office, then promised to call Mylius back, and finally following up with a call when a position opened.

The recruiter made sure to motivate Mylius and keep him focused during the long wait for basic training. As a final example showcasing his recruiter's leadership traits, Mylius spoke of how the recruiter engaged in one of the most important aspects of being a leader.

"He took time to mentor me by sharing his experiences and letting me know what I faced as I transitioned from a teenager to an Airman," Mylius said. "He set the example by his display of professionalism and by going above and beyond to make sure I didn't lose hope with the process."

At basic training, his military training instructors taught Mylius responsibility, giving him an understanding the Air Force was bigger than just one Airman. After arriving at RAF Alconbury, his fellow Defender continued teaching Mylius about responsibility, while also mentoring him throughout their time together.

"He set the example by his outstanding job knowledge, and encouraged and supported me along the way," Mylius said. "He taught me everything I needed to know to do my job."

As a wingman, Mylius' fellow Defender supported him and then followed up at the end of the today to check on Mylius. This wingman took time out of his day to teach Mylius and provide an understanding of the tools necessary to be a leader.

"As a leader, my generation expects you to be like my recruiter, my training instructors and my coworker," Mylius said. "We want to learn from you and know that you care."

In his conclusion, Mylius echoed the sentiment that today's leaders are responsible for growing tomorrow's leaders.

"To me, a leader doesn't lead their people in the direction they want to go, but rather leads them in the direction they should go," Mylius said. "By you exhibiting the traits I talked about today, there is no doubt that you will help my generation get to where we should go."

After Mylius' speech, the wing announced the following Airmen as the 2011 Annual Award Winners:

Volunteer Excellence Award:
Lori Dunn, 422nd Air Base Group

Civilian Category I:
Sarah Williams, 501st Combat Support Wing staff

Civilian Category II:
Sukhdev Kalyan, 423rd Air Base Group

Honor Guard:
Staff Sgt. James Stacy, 422nd Air Base Group

Airman:
Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Niesen, 423rd Air Base Group

Noncommissioned Officer:
Tech. Sgt. Michael Pendleton, 423rd Air Base Group

Senior Noncommissioned Officer:
Master Sgt. Gabriel Browning, 422nd Air Base Group

First Sergeant:
Master Sgt. Dennis Dyke, 421st Air Base Group

Company Grade Officer:
Capt. Jaroslaw Zrodlowski, 423rd Air Base Group