Sponsorship key to mission success

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Connor Estes
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  All my life I've dreamt of seeing Europe, but as I stepped off the plane at Heathrow International Airport in London ... I couldn't have been more frightened. Not only was I worried about my wife and children and our 18 pieces of luggage, I was worried about what to do once I arrived on base.

After the 2.5-hour trip on the roller coaster, err, I mean bus ride, we finally arrived at RAF Lakenheath. As I stepped off the bus, I heard what seemed like the sound of music to my ears, someone behind me calling out my name. It was my sponsor, and I instantly had a feeling of relief.

The sponsorship program is designed to provide newcomers with a personal contact at their new base. Sponsors assist newcomers by preparing them for local conditions, setting up their post boxes and finding housing.

According to the memorandums written by former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney McKinley and U.S. Air Forces in Europe Commander Gen. Roger Brady, not only is a good sponsorship program imperative to the success of our war-fighting mission, but the development and caring of our Airmen is an Air Force priority.

"Our commander and our leadership not only care about how their Airmen are taken care of, but they also want to ensure they have the best sponsorship possible so they can concentrate on the mission," said Robyn Endo, 48th Force Support Squadron Airmen & Family Readiness Center community readiness consultant. "We can't have our Airmen worried and frustrated because something along the way has been challenging for them, especially when a sponsor can help with those challenging situations. All we want to do is cultivate a proactive community of 'wingmanship'. Sponsorship in general is a first line of defense for new inbounds."

In the past, sponsorship meant sending packets through the mail. This took time and money that is no longer necessary. With new technology, more people are taking advantage of online resources. There are sites out there that can help people with transitioning to a new base of assignment. One in particular is Military HomeFront. This site offers useful tools including a timeline move section that allows the member to create a calendar of what they need to do between the time they learn of their next assignment and the time they have to PCS and report in.

Ms. Endo stated, "Military HomeFront is the only Web site sponsored by the Department of Defense. It replaced old sites, including Air Force Crossroads. We tried to create a one-stop shop for all people, not only for inprocessing, but for information."

The three areas that were looked at and concentrated on for the new sponsorship program were pre-arrival, arrival, and post-arrival.

"Pre-arrival is most important, and the goal is to prepare the servicemember for what they will experience at their new base before they arrive," said Angelina Quamina, 48th Force Support Squadron Airmen & Family Readiness Center Base Intro manager. "There's going to be a huge culture shock (when being stationed at an overseas base), and our goal is to prepare people prior to them getting here. So while there will still be culture shock that occurs, if they're informed about the things that are different, when they do arrive on station, they can function better in the environment."

One agency that helps with informing newcomers is the Airman and Family Readiness Center.

"Basically, they are the champions that make sure information is current and correct, and they also make sure the information gets out," said Ms. Quamina.

While having all of these resources available online is more time effective, it is also important for the sponsor and unit to stay in touch with the newcomer.

"Good sponsors are important because they are the first impression the newcomer has of their base, squadron, coworkers and commander, which is why commanders are so invested in this process," said Ms. Endo. "They know if this person has a wonderful transition and feels they can turn to their unit for assistance, then that makes all the difference in that person's readiness to do their job and, ultimately, the success as a squadron as a whole."

Each squadron is responsible for coming up with their own sponsorship process. Some squadrons go above and beyond to ensure newcomers are prepared for their transition and they feel at home.

One squadron that has come up with an innovative process is the 48th Component Maintenance Squadron. Led by their unit Intro and Sponsorship Manager, Brenda King, they have an incredible one-stop shop, Web-based program developed by Tech. Sgt. Michael Wigginton, Aerospace Propulsion craftsman in the unit. This program is connected to 48th CMS's Air Force Portal site and has everything to make life easier for both sponsor and newcomer. It has all the information a newcomer will need, from the bus schedule at the airport, to a welcome video clip by the 48th CMS commander.

So I ask you, how important is the sponsorship program to RAF Lakenheath? Well, if it had not been for the assistance of my sponsor, I would probably still be standing at the lodging building not knowing what to do.