Operations first sergeant best in Air Force

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman David Dobrydney
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  When Master Sgt. Darryl Ross of the 48th Operations Group was told he'd been named the Air Force First Sergeant of the Year, he was both grateful and relieved.

"I was relieved that the wait was over," said Sergeant Ross, who has just arrived from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and first won at the wing-level at the beginning of the year. "I didn't have to wait and wonder anymore."

Although Sergeant Ross is just beginning his tour at RAF Lakenheath, he has been a first sergeant for the past three years. Prior to becoming a first sergeant, he had been in force support.

"The transition for me was fairly easy, because through my entire career I've always focused on taking care of people," said Sergeant Ross. "The biggest thing was I went from supervising 10 or 20 people to everyone in the squadron, so I had to reach across and help anyone who needed my help, not just those in my own section."

Sergeant Ross said his focus is on being the best first sergeant possible. "You have to be there 24 hours a day, no matter if the phone rings at eight o'clock in the morning or one o'clock in the morning, somebody in your squadron needs your assistance."

To Airmen and NCOs who might consider becoming a first sergeant, Sergeant Ross said they need two attributes. One is selflessness.

"It's not like you have to starve to feed everyone else, but at the same time you have to take other people's problems as seriously as your own," said Sergeant Ross. "You can't just say 'okay, I'll deal with that later.' No, it needs to be dealt with now because this person needs your help, otherwise he wouldn't have come to you."

Sergeant Ross added that a love for people is integral to success as a first sergeant.
"I think that's the key. You can't be a first sergeant and say 'don't talk to me, I haven't had my coffee,'" he said. "You need to be able to engage with people at the drop of a hat."

The most difficult part of being a first sergeant is leading from the front and setting a good example, but Sergeant Ross said that it can also be the most rewarding.

"I get more enjoyment out of helping people than anything I've done in my entire time in the Air Force," he said.

Not every Airman is destined to be a first sergeant, and Sergeant Ross admitted he grappled with the decision.

"But once I became a first sergeant, I just jumped in with both feet and I haven't looked back yet," he said. "It was the best decision I ever made."