By Staff Sgt. Lauren Snyder, 433rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs / Published June 06, 2018
U.S. Air Force Reserve Command Chief Master Sgt. Ericka E. Kelly speaks with Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 433rd Airlift Wing Top Three and Rising Six June 2, 2018, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The missions of these enlisted personnel organizations are to promote professionalism and encourage an attitude of unified purpose throughout the squadron and group personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Lauren M. Snyder)
United States Air Force Reserves Command Chief Master Sgt. Ericka E. Kelly and Fourth Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Timothy C. White Jr. take a moment with Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 74th Aerial Port Squadron and Soldiers of the 61st Quartermaster Battalion from Ft. Hood, Texas at the Cargo Load Training facility June 2, 2018, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The command chiefs visited with members of the 433rd Airlift Wing during their visit in the area. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Lauren M. Snyder)
U.S. Air Force Reserve Command Chief Master Sgt. Ericka E. Kelly and Fourth Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Timothy C. White, Jr. visit with Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 74th Aerial Port Squadron and 61st Quartermaster Battalion at the Cargo Load Training facility June 2, 2018, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The aerial port squadron trains members to correctly load pallets to ensure aircraft can be loaded safely and efficiently. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Lauren M. Snyder)
U.S. Air Force Reserves Command Chief Master Sgt. Ericka E. Kelly visited the Alamo Wing here June 2.
Kelly, along with Fourth Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Timothy C. White Jr., met with members of the 74th Aerial Port Squadron and 61st Quartermaster Battalion from Ft. Hood in Killeen, Texas at the Cargo Load Training facility.
After a brief tour and mission brief from Chief Master Sgt. Vishal M. Rose, 74th APS Superintendent of Operations, both command chiefs stopped by to shake hands and talk with the airmen and soldiers as the members took a break from their training in loading pallets.
Next, both command chiefs were invited to join a joint Rising Six and Top Three meeting.
Multiple airmen, acknowledged by their supervisors as the best types of airmen and humans anyone could hope to work with, were lined up on stage and coined by Kelly.
She then spoke about the “why” of her role and visit and opened the floor to the members gathered.
Questions ranged from Enlisted Forums and other developmental tools, the Task Management Tool, supervising and developing airmen, building the Rising Six and Top Three membership and scope, sending members to in-residence schools, and either pushing up or pushing down airmen and what they are allowed to do.
“There are three questions to ask if we want to build rapport,” Kelly said. “‘Can I trust you?’ If the answer is no, it doesn’t matter what you say, but you will never get me to follow you. The second question is, ‘Can you help me?’ If you can’t help me, there’s a gap in the conversation. The third question is, ‘Do you care?’ If you don’t feel valued, you will go someplace else.”
Both Kelly and White gave insightful answer to the members gathered on a variety of questions.
“I’m not here to highlight that I’m a chief,” said Kelly. “I’m here to highlight that I’m an airman and that we’re in this together. We all serve at a different platform, sure, but at the end of the day my service to you is real. That’s why I’m in this position, to be your voice and to serve you, period.”
As the AFRC command chief, Kelly advises the Commander on all issues regarding the readiness, training, welfare, morale, proper utilization and progress of more than 55,000 enlisted active duty and Reserve Citizen Airmen serving at more than 60 military bases worldwide.