Command chiefs offer advice to company-grade officers Published Nov. 14, 2011 By Brandice J. O'Brien Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Speaking candidly and from the heart, two command chief master sergeants offered opinions, stories and advice. Their audience was approximately 20 company-grade officers from the Logistics Officer Association's Crossroads Chapter and Company Grade Officer Council. During breakfast in the Tinker Club Oct. 28, officers sought advice regarding how to be better Airmen and mentor their enlisted counterparts. The chiefs told them the key is to care. "Understand as commissioned officers, you have our lives in your hands and you're responsible for us," said 552nd Air Control Wing Command Chief Master Sgt. Eddie Compton. "If you do that and take care of your people and realize you're people are more important than you, we'll take care of you and you'll do great things." Chief Compton recalled an experience in which he was deployed to an undisclosed location by his captain. When he arrived, communication failed and the chief, then a staff sergeant, was stranded by himself for nearly six weeks. When he finally made it back to his troops, he learned his captain had paced the floor for six weeks. "That's caring," Chief Compton said. Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Command Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Vegas shared an experience in which a major stood up for him, and displayed courageous leadership. Chief Vegas, then a staff sergeant, and his fellow Airmen while stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on a particular assignment with the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology forensic identification team, conducted forensic autopsies to identify the remains of fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen. "This was a stressful job that had the potential to weigh on you very heavily," said Chief Vegas. "After you work on so many casualties it begins to affect you mentally." Chief Vegas said while the team was a crew of professionals who performed their duties with great care and respect; they also had moments where they might not appear to be professionals. "We kept the atmosphere light with jokes and laughter in order to endure the job we had to accomplish," the chief said. The chief said one day a distinguished visitor came through the mortuary on a tour. He saw the Airmen laughing and joking. The visitor wasted no time showing his disapproval and lectured the young Airmen. Midway through, the supervising major stood up and defended his team. "That major had the courage to confront that DV and really tell him 'no,'" Chief Vegas said. "He literally positioned himself in between us and the DV; that took a lot. That boosted his credibility and at that point there was nothing we would not do for him." Taking an interest in an Airman will gain officers credibility, but really supporting and mentoring an individual is priceless, the chiefs said. Chief Vegas said every Airman enlists in the Air Force but it may take a while before they actually join and fully commit to the Air Force. Sometimes it takes a couple of years. While it may be hard to watch, as a supervisor it is not an officer's job to force that transition, but rather guide it. When an Airman makes a mistake, instead of veering right to disciplinary action, try getting through to the Airman in another way - maybe a talk. "If your Airmen truly admire, value and follow you, a counseling session on where they failed, how they failed you and what you expected from them, sometimes that's just enough," Chief Vegas said. "I have been counseled and I have counseled by just going, 'Let's take a walk. Let's talk about this,' and for some, that was enough." Chief Compton said there was a time early in his career when a talk from a superior shaped him up. He remembers that talk far better than accolades, promotions and awards. Two years into the Air Force, the chief said he was a terrible overall Airman who partied hard. One day, his supervisor pulled him aside. "He was not happy with me. He threatened me. He told me he was going to kill me and hide the body. That man never smiled in the two years I was there. I believed him," Chief Compton said. Following the conversation, he went back to the dorm and told his buddies what had happened. Hoping they would ease his fears, he reiterated the line, "He told me he was going to kill me and hide the body." The chief said he expected his friends to laugh it off, but instead, one said, "Yeah, he looks like the kind of guy that would kill you." That conversation is one he values and the chief said it may have done well for him than a documented violation. The chiefs said today's Airmen are very smart and have a lot to give, but they face uncertain futures and are visibly worried. As budgets are continually strained and funds are cuts, it is important for officers to take an interest in Air Force finances to understand how money is spent. If they do so, they can better answer questions and inform their Airmen about the current financial status. They may also be able to find solutions that keep programs from being cut. Chief Vegas likened learning the financial system to researching college scholarships. "With all of the scholarships and money that's out there, it's just trying to find which one fits and how you can better utilize it or how to apply for it," Chief Vegas said. "As a leader you have to get smart in that area. Connect with your unit's finance manager or resource advisor and let them help you. " Capt. Carl Close, LOA Crossroads Chapter member, said he learned a great deal from the time with the chiefs. "The command chiefs' leadership experience coming up through the ranks is timeless and will continue to provide a foundation for future leaders to build upon," the captain said. "Listening to the command chiefs reminded me how precarious military life has and continues to be."