Taji senior NCO the "three-headed dog" of 50-Airmen team

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • U.S. Air Forces Central Command combat camera team
CAMP TAJI, Iraq (AFNS) --  On a wall here is a print of Cerberus, the three-headed dog from Greek mythology.

"That's me," said Senior Master Sgt. Ken Webb. "I'm the three-headed dog."

What the Texas City, Texas, native meant is that he has three distinct job titles at Camp Taji, where roughly 50 Airmen are assisting the Iraqi air force become more self-reliant as the Iraqi military becomes increasingly responsible for its national security. Sergeant Webb, a 24-year Air Force veteran, is right in the middle of this transition effort.

"I came out here to be the maintenance superintendent for the helicopter squadrons," Sergeant Webb explained. "But when I got here, we realized I'm the senior enlisted guy, so that made me the superintendent for the 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, making sure things like performance reports and decorations are taken care of properly.

"Soon after I arrived, the additional-duty first sergeant redeployed back home, so I inherited his position as well," Sergeant Webb continued. "So there you go; I'm Cerberus." 

Sergeant Webb is seven weeks into his 365-day deployment. He and his crew are part of the Iraqi Training Advisory Mission - Air Force, an organization spread throughout the country. His team at Camp Taji assists with maintenance, flying and gunnery skills for the Mi-17 Hip and UH-1 Huey helicopters.

Back home at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Sergeant Webb is the superintendent at an aircraft maintenance unit. At Camp Taji, he finds juggling his three hats a difficult, but rewarding, challenge.

"Nothing makes me happier than when I can help someone with an issue that's keeping them from their mission," Sergeant Webb said. "We had an Airman who missed a promotion by three points, but he was also missing a medal in his records. We had another Airman who had a family emergency and in three hours we had her on a helicopter on her way home. And those were just in my first few weeks here."

There isn't anyone more capable for the triumvirate of taskings than Sergeant Webb, said Lt. Col. Mike McNerney, the 721st AEAS commander. For him, Sergeant Webb has been "more than a right hand, he's been my right arm."

"He's very even tempered, which is essential for this role," said Colonel McNerney, who is deployed from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. "He's patient and understanding with our Airmen and those in the Iraqi air force. He's tackled more issues already than I could have expected. I rely on him to maintain good order and discipline throughout our force, but also take care of morale. We've got people from our squadron all over the country and it's Sergeant Webb who makes sure they're taken care of."

Even when Sergeant Webb isn't working, he's still keeping tabs on the Airmen here. During his time away from the office, he hangs around in the common area of the Air Force compound.

He knows every Airman here, and in fact, when asked about how many people he has working for him, he took out a piece of paper and a pen and started writing down their names. 

"Let me count them up," he said.

Sergeant Webb socializes with all the Airmen here so they don't just see him in an official capacity. This helps him keep tabs on anyone who might be having troubles at home or work.

"People need to know that they have someone looking out for them and their issues," Sergeant Webb said. "I don't solve all their problems for them, but I show them how they can solve problems themselves. Even if I don't have the answer they need, we find someone who does." 

That philosophy also applies to how he and his team assist the Iraqis. 

Sergeant Webb said the strength and camaraderie in his team is something he hopes the Iraqis will instill in theirs. One of Sergeant Webb's goals is to help foster a sense of enlisted pride among the Iraqis.

"One of our Airmen was selected for master sergeant, so we're going to invite some of the Iraqi enlisted force to the promotion ceremony to see how we do it," Sergeant Webb said. "As with most of our efforts, we don't want them to think they have to do business exactly how we do business, but we do want them to understand why we do things a certain way. If Iraqi airmen see that becoming a senior non-commissioned officer is a big deal, more of them will strive for that."

When he leaves Iraq next spring, Sergeant Webb said he wants nothing more than to see an Iraqi air force that is run by Iraqi airmen. He also wants his Airmen to know how instrumental they were in making that happen.

"I'm proud of what American Airmen have done for the people of Iraq," Sergeant Webb said. "Because of what we've done here, the Iraqi air force will be able to provide the kind of airpower our people and our leaders have come to expect from us. Maybe one day in the future, we'll ask their air force to help us with something and we'll have the confidence in them as friends and partners. All because of what our Airmen have done in the past and are doing here today."