AFRC hosts in-person Enlisted Symposium, first since pandemic
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Air Force Reserve Command is hosting its first in-person Enlisted Symposium since the pandemic. Enlisted Reserve Citizen Airmen are scheduled to convene in the National Capital Region from July 11-12, after the last two conferences were virtual.
Chief Master Sgt. Megan Parrott is part of the team planning for the Enlisted Symposium and said there is a lot of excitement around the event’s comeback.
“Even though we remained connected during the pandemic, there’s something special about that in-person connection,” she said.
The two-day symposium is open to E-4 through E-7 Reservists interested in gaining insight into what’s happening around the force. AFRC Chief Enlisted Managers will attend an additional event during the conference and will have the chance for a social icebreaker and networking with other enlisted members.
The symposium also serves as an opportunity for the enlisted force to honor Lt. Gen. Richard Scobee, chief of the Air Force Reserve and AFRC commander, ahead of his upcoming retirement. An Order of the Sword ceremony in honor of Scobee is scheduled for the final evening of the conference.
“The Order of the Sword is the highest honor the enlisted corps can bestow or present to an officer,” Parrott said. “We’re excited to celebrate the leadership and contributions Lt. Gen. Scobee’s made to not only the Air Force Reserve Command but specifically to the enlisted corps throughout his tenure.”
Notable guest speakers for the symposium include Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC) Ramón "CZ" Colón-López, and former Air University command chief and author Chief Master Sgt. (Ret.) Todd Simmons. A special ceremony to celebrate AFRC Airmen of the Year winners for 2022 is scheduled for the first day of the symposium.