Board meets to advise command chief

Published Nov. 9, 2015
By Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Rae Moore
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Air Force Reserve Command’s command chief master sergeant got a helpful staff assistance visit when the bi-annual Reserve Enlisted Board of Directors convened here Nov. 2-4.

The board was made up of 17 chief and senior master sergeants who serve as senior advisers to Chief Master Sgt. Cameron Kirksey. They were selected because of the unique positions they hold in their organizations and for their valued and trusted counsel.

“REBoD members have an extensive quality of knowledge and resourcefulness,” said Chief Master Sgt. F. Larry Lopez, Headquarters AFRC Command Section chief enlisted manager and a REBoD member. “They are asked to address issues and to propose solutions to challenging problems for the command chief while balancing the welfare, training and preparation of Air Force Reserve Citizen Airmen.”

The board is AFRC’s version of Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody’s Enlisted Board of Directors. The first generation of the REBoD was the Chief’s Advisory Council.

“It’s still new; the REBoD that just wrapped up was our fourth conference,” Lopez said.

The three-day conference facilitated a think-tank and exposed strong opinions and passionate views, according to Lopez.

“The focus was definitely kept on our Airmen, which was outstanding,” said Senior Master Sgt. Paul Tomlinson, AFRC first sergeant functional manager and a REBoD member. “Some discussions were hard to contain within the block of time allotted and we had to come back to those topics.”

A typical day ran from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“There was a unified passion when discussing topics like the Enlisted Evaluation System update and use of the Defense Travel System,” Tomlinson said. “But other topics, such as the boarding process for senior and chief master sergeants and the screening process for command chiefs, exposed differing views.

“Every member of the board was scheduled to do their own presentation,” he said. “They were all subject matter experts. So much was covered; I don’t think we could put any more on the plate. One discussion was about the amount of time allotted for the conference. The Reserve Enlisted Board of Directors only meets twice per year. That’s a challenge.”

The locations of the conferences change with each meeting, so participants get a different perspective.

“You can’t express the importance of getting out of your work areas and meeting face-to-face to hash things out,” Tomlinson said. “Building those relationships across the country was the most valuable take-away for me. The key to the REBoD’s success is sitting down with each other and getting on the same page. That cannot be accomplished through a (video teleconference) and definitely not through emails.

“When you’re in your own work area you’re in your own zone and your agenda is primary. When you’re pulled out of your work area, to a neutral location, you’re forced to talk about what’s most important for the Airmen, not necessarily for you or your position.”

According to Lopez the conference was a success.