1.

Yes, my father being in the Navy did have an influence on my choice to join
the military. As a kid, I actually did not want to be in the military because
over time I had gotten tired of moving over and over again, and re-
establishing friend groups everywhere I went…it wasn’t really something I
wanted for my family. As I got older, I started to understand how much
military service meant to him, how it shaped him as a person, and how
important it was to serve the country and others. That all had a large
influence on my desire to serve in some way or form. During my college years
I knew I wanted to serve others and that shaped my degree plan as a criminal
justice major, but I was still torn between something related to the police
force or the military.

2. Sacrifice means a lot to me after 20 years in the military, and actually that
definition has changed over time. Ultimately as a military service member, I
have signed up to put my life on the line for the country and American
citizens if the time was called for. But what I’ve come to realize is that the
sacrifice I signed up for was more than just that. On a personal level, I had to
learn that my personal desires sometimes took a back seat to what the Air
Force needed…I can’t say that I have always been happy with that, but I’ve
learned I can adapt to the needs of the military much better now than 20
years ago. On a professional level, I probably could have made more money
in the private sector and have been just as happy. But military sacrifice has
shaped me in profound ways that the private sector would have been unable
to.

Sacrifice also means more than just what impacts me as a person…my

choices mean that my entire family (mother, father, wife, children, etc.) has
also had to make huge sacrifices, some that they never signed up. But a
strong sense of understanding and seeing the value in the sacrifices others
make can be contagious, it can shape their strengths and values as well.

3. My last deployment is a prime example of sacrifice. In 2018, I was deployed

to support the Joint Special Operations Command as an Intelligence
professional in Afghanistan. My role was to ensure the right intelligence
assets were where they needed to be at all times supporting Special
Operations Forces (SOF) planning and ground operations. This deployment
required that I was operating as the best version of me all the time,
sometimes 14-16 hour days. My job meant that those SOF personnel
(Americans and partner nation personnel) were protected and ready for
whatever challenges they were going to face every day. My sacrifice (to
include my family’s sacrifice with me being gone for 6-7 months) ensured
that those personnel (and their sacrifices) who were in way greater danger
than me every day, were able to make it home to their country and family
members.

4. As a Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt) in the Air Force, I get to do what I’ve
done for the last 14 years of being an NCO and SNCO, mentor junior Airmen…
 but as a CMSgt, my scope is much greater, and my day-to-day job allows me
to impact a much greater span of Airmen as a Squadron Senior Enlisted
Leader. It’s actually one of the best parts of my job in the Air Force, getting
to find ways to empower, lead, development, and equip my Airmen so that
they are a better version of what I was coming up through the ranks, and also
so that they are better versions of themselves. If I do my job well, they are
better Airmen and the next wave of Airmen behind them will be better than
that.

5. I think I’ve captured a lot of this in the previous questions but here are a few
more details. I think as humans, there is no greater sacrifice than serving
others…my job is just in the form of the military. But there are so many
others, to include, first responders, educators, health professionals,
volunteering, etc. that also serve and make great sacrifices. I think serving
others shows you how to accept humility, it shows you how to better love,
support, and care for others, it shows you that the whole is greater than the
individual parts. All of those things I’ve learned better over my time in the
military.

6. As a CMSgt/Senior Enlisted Leader, my job is to consistently assess the

resources that my Airmen have access to in order to execute their jobs, to
train effectively, to be better Airmen, and to improve morale, health, and
fitness. Regularly I work with my leadership teams to find ways to secure
more resources and fill gaps in areas that we are lacking in as a squadron.
Some examples of that: finding external funding sources for
training/certification courses that improve our capabilities, utilizing money we
receive as a unit to improve the facilities (i.e. equipment, infrastructure,
morale/fitness gear or equipment, etc.), finding opportunities to help improve
camaraderie, mental health, personal development, etc. Those are just a few
examples of ways I ensure Airmen have access to tools they need.

7. Airmen have all sorts of problems that they may need help with. Some
examples include physical, emotional, or mental health issues; lack of
development; lack of resources or proper support by base agencies or local
health providers; issues with finances, housing, bills, etc; issues with family…
there are so many things. As a Senior Enlisted Leader, my role in all of this is
to know how to address these issues, what resources are available, and
where we can find support as a unit. I don’t do this alone, I utilize key people
around me to include my Commander, other unit leaders, our unit’s First
Sergeant whose sole job is a lot of the above. I also build relationships with
key individuals across the base and in the community to ensure we are able
to get the resources we need in a more timely manner.

8. I would say that in a way my deployments have shaped the way I perceive
service and my responsibilities, but really more of by way of just enhancing
the relevancy of them. During deployments, typically there is more costly
impacts to decisions and operations. Timelines are different and sometimes
 shortened, your senses are more heightened, and you become much more in
tune with all of your training that you’ve had. I wouldn’t say it’s changed it,
just shown me how much more it means when your time is called upon to
step up to the plate.

9. This is a tough question actually, I would say the balance will never be
perfect; I am not a perfect person. My family has felt impacts with how I have
balanced my time and roles as a husband, father, and service member.
People that say “you have to find a balance” really mean, you have to
understand your priorities because there isn’t a “best” way to balance.
Sometimes my military roles have taken priority, sometimes my family roles
have taken priority…I’ve had to learn the hard way sometimes which
priorities were more critical at any given time. My wife is an amazing person,
but she has had to make a lot of sacrifices along the way and has felt the
blunt of the impact when my priorities were more focused on the military. My
wife and kids have absolutely shown me what military family sacrifice looks
like and that has helped me grow as a person as well. We have had good
times and bad, and I would say that balancing these roles/responsibilities has
been one of the most challenging things in my life but has made me and my
family stronger people.

[Link] answer has changed over time actually. Early on it was, “I hope people
remember me for the amazing Intelligence Analyst I was.” But now I think
the legacy I want to leave behind is that Airmen remember how I made them
feel as a person and as an Airmen. That it’s ok to make mistakes, to strive to
be the best versions of themselves but to bring others up along with them, to
be approachable as a person, to never to be so high in the chain that you
can’t make time for others, to be there for them through the good times and
hard times. I want them to remember that I was a hard worker, and that all
that hard work was to find ways to improve them and the organization…I
think if people remember stuff like that about me when my time comes to
retire, then I can hang my hat and put away my boots and be happy that I’ve
made an impact in others.