New program helps Incirlik enlisted leaders understand mission

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Valda Wilson
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Officials at the 39th Air Base Wing initiated an enlisted mission orientation program recently, sponsored by the wing commander and command chief, to ensure newly assigned NCOs and master sergeants understand the components that comprise the overall mission here.

"Ultimately, what we will have is a more connected group of Airmen and a stronger community, because the Airmen at the tactical level will understand their role and will have a greater source of pride and understand how they impact the mission," said Chief Master Sgt. Marcus Snoddy, the 39th Air Base Wing command chief.

The orientation is held once a month and is about three and a half hours. It starts with a breakfast and continues with tours at different units here.

The squadron commander or a chief conducts the briefings throughout the tour, said Senior Master Sgt. Latrice Wright, program facilitator from the 39th Air Base Wing.

"That [is] a good indication of how important this is to the leadership that our personnel understand what's going on here at Incirlik," Sergeant Wright added.

The tour includes briefings from 39th Operations Squadron about operations support and their partnership with our Turkish hosts; the 728th Air Mobility Squadron, about their role in transporting cargo in support of overseas contingency operations; the 385th Air Expeditionary Group, about their airlift support and refueling mission; the 39th Security Forces Squadron, about their role defending base personnel and assets; and the 39th Maintenance Squadron about their roles maintaining aircraft and assets.

"The desired goal is for the staff sergeants through master sergeants to be able to articulate their specific team's mission and how it fits into the overall 39th Air Base Wing mission," Sergeant Wright added.

The tour is specifically designed for enlisted members in the ranks of staff sergeant through master sergeant who have arrived to the base within 90 days, Sergeant Wright said.

"It's beneficial to target those particular ranks because those individuals are the ones that are actually doing the day-to-day work; they're doing the tasks, they are carrying out the mission at the tactical level," said Chief Snoddy.

The feedback from the orientation has been positive.

"It was an eye-opening experience to see what others do on a daily basis," said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Montgomery, an orientation attendee from the 728th Air Mobility Squadron. "When I'm at work, I only get to see what we do. I don't get to see what everybody else does."

The tour helps demonstrate how important it is for everyone to perform their part of the mission and that individual Airmen can empower others to do the well in their functional areas, Chief Snoddy explained.

"The orientation mission brief was beneficial to me because it gave me a better understanding of our mission and how every organization plays an important role to fulfill that mission. It made me feel like part of something important," said Staff Sgt. Veronica Smith, another attendee at the orientation from the 39th Comptroller Squadron. "As a finance troop [we] are basically dealing with member's finances, and that is all you see all day. But, when you are taken out to explore someone else's career field it reminds you how you play a part too."