'First shirts' use tough love, care for troops

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Madelyn Waychoff
  • 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AFPN) --  It is 2 a.m. and pitch black outside when suddenly the phone rings and the voice on the other end says an airman needs help.

The first sergeant gets up and prepares for an early day. This is not new; it is part of the job, and could mean anything from a car accident to domestic violence or other trouble with the law.

"This is a tough job, and to do it, you have to like taking care of people," said Chief Master Sgt. Kelly Martin, 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron first sergeant here. "It takes a mix between common sense and compassion."

First sergeants do anything their troops need them to do, Martin said.

"Most people think of 'first shirts' as disciplinarians because that's what they know," she said. "They know about the people who have to come see us because they're in trouble. What they don't know about are all the people who walk in the door, or stop (us) on the flightline or in the office because they're having a little bit of trouble, and (we) help them out.

"We help people who are (having) financial difficulties, we talk to people who just need someone to talk to if they're having family problems or if they need to make career decisions," she said. "I have people who just come and ask me questions all the time about anything. We do everything that comes across our desks that has to do with taking care of people."

First sergeants are also the principal advisers to the commander on all enlisted issues concerning professional military education, health and welfare, morale, promotions, enlisted performance reports and disciplinary action.

"But what we really do every day varies," said Master Sgt. Kenny Williams, 388th Operations Group first sergeant. "We could have a stack of awards or (promotion) packages to review or enlisted performance reports to complete. Other times we might have to deal with domestic violence issues, underage drinking or personal problems, such as when airmen can't pay their bills, get into fights or get speeding tickets."

First sergeants are master sergeants and above who leave their original jobs for at least three years and take a special-duty assignment.

Martin, who was formerly an aerospace ground equipment mechanic and has now been a first sergeant for nine years, said she chose it because, "I like taking care of people. I was an acting first sergeant for a year, and doing it for that long, I found that I had a knack for this kind of work and that I really liked it.

"In my old career field, the more rank I got, the further I got from a flightline, but being a first sergeant gives me the opportunity to still be out around the troops seeing what they're doing, and I like that a lot better," she said.

Williams, who has been a first sergeant for two-and-a-half years, said as he grew up in the noncommissioned officer ranks, he felt he also had a knack for helping others.

"I love to be involved. There is no better job," he said. "But, I will go back to munitions, and I will go back for the same reason I became a first sergeant, to be a good manager."

While there are many duties that first sergeants have, it is all worth it, Martin said.

"The best part of my job is when I can make a difference in an Air Force member's life. It makes me know that I was able to affect someone positively.

"Whenever I get discouraged about what I do, I have an essay a young troop of mine wrote about me for her English class. I just sit down and read it, and it reminds me that all this time that I've been a first sergeant, I've been able to help people, and that's the best thing about this job."

Everyone eligible should consider being a first sergeant, Williams said.

"There is a great sense of accomplishment in doing what we do," he said.

The commitment requires giving up time with families and having the courage to make command decisions. Candidates cannot be concerned with immediate promotions because of the small size of the first sergeant career field, and selfless dedication to the Air Force and its people is a must, Williams said.

To become first sergeants, people must be recommended by their commander and command chief master sergeant. Then they must appear before a review board, consisting of a squadron commander, the command chief and other first sergeants, where they are asked why they want to be a first sergeant. When people are selected, they are sent to four weeks of training.

After these people have been first sergeants, they go back to their original Air Force specialties, taking the experience they have gained back with them, said Martin.

"They do this because it's helpful," she said. "You learn a lot of different things at this office that you wouldn't normally do when you're focused on the mission. They hope that with the experience you go back and can split your focus between the mission and the people.

"I want to see everyone volunteer to be a first sergeant," Martin said. "It's a great job, and we need more great people in it." (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service)