F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Airman 1st Class Joseph McAndrew, 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron traffic management technician, has a customer service role at the personal property office, and had the opportunity to shadow Col. Stephen Kravitsky, 90th Missile Wing commander, for a day.
This new program allows junior Airmen and company grade officers to spend the day with the wing commander to see what goes on behind the scenes to get the mission done.
“This initiative is important to me because when I was an Airman, I did the same thing with my wing commander, and it was an eye opening experience,” said Kravitsky. “This was a chance for me to give a young Airman the opportunity to see what I do and how some of the decisions in the wing are made. Hopefully he’ll tell his fellow Airmen how the wing and the groups work, because it’s more of an educational experience for our Airmen. It was also insightful for me. I got to spend the day with an outstanding Airman and pick his brain, which was a great learning experience for me.”
Below, McAndrew answers some questions about what he experienced during his day with the wing commander.
Q: How was your day?
A: Fantastic. It was different than anything I ever experienced.
Q: What were your expectations, and how did today change your perspective on the daily life of our wing commander?
A: I didn’t really have any expectations or know what to expect, but it definitely broadened any prior ideas I had about our wing commander’s role.
Q: What was your favorite part of the day?
A: I didn’t have a favorite part, but I enjoyed seeing how everyone interacted. Everything works like a well-oiled machine, and I got to see first-hand all the planning and coordination that happens.
Q: What did you take away from this experience?
A: Some people may not believe that our leadership fights for us, but they do everything they can to help. Our wing commander and our group commanders do a lot to fight for Airmen, help with our Basic Allowance for Housing and many other things. I feel like I learned a lot and anyone else who gets the opportunity should definitely take it.
Q: Could you handle being a wing commander one day?
A: This job is busier than I could have ever anticipated, but I feel like I could handle it. Seeing how Col. Kravitsky does things inspires me as far as the kind of leader I want to be one day.