Chief Jones Reflects On the Past Two Years

“This will be the most impactful job I will have in my career.” Those were the words of Chief Jones during our first interview 2 years ago. Just arriving at Minot Air Force Base and standing on the threshold of a job that would certainly challenge her as a professional, CMSgt. Jones could only look ahead and not completely know what was ahead. Today she is able to say with certainty “to be clear, this has been the most challenging job of my career” as she states in her exit letter.
It was my pleasure to sit down once again with CMSgt Jones and talk again.

So, let’s start with a question about Minot Air Force Base. After your tenure here, in your opinion, does Minot Air Force Base change you?
“Yes, I think so” says Jones “but as you deal with the challenges and the curve balls you really start to grow and become better for it. You know they say iron sharpens iron. I definitely feel that all of the challenges we faced here, (we faced) head on, and it has propelled to do better as we moved forward.”

And what other expectations, say the relationship between the base and the community, were maybe different than what you thought going in.
“I expected to work closely with our civic leaders in order to improve the lives of our airman when I was here; what I didn’t expect was to have lasting friendships. I will walk away and have lasting friendships with some of our civic leaders” and Jones smiles as she says “in fact I am in a fantasy football league with some of them, and so our friendship will continue outside of Minot, and I didn’t expect that. I can’t capture the words to express my gratitude to the civic leaders for Home for the Holidays for our Airmen. To send 115 Airmen, all across the globe to where they call home, those Airmen will never forget that, and this year there’s an effort to do more.”

So, will it make a difference to first term Airmen when they hear about Home of the Holidays at Minot Air Force Base?
“Absolutely! If I’m a first year Airmen in tech school, I have to believe that I am going to a base that will embrace me because they have a program like Home for the Holidays. And they are going to support me in the work I do. But it’s also interesting that when Col. Hoadley and I had to travel, we’d run into people from our past that would ask about what we were doing. As soon as we told them we were at Minot they would start in with what we would call the pity pats. And my response, which I’ve also championed to Airmen is that, yeah, you are right, it’s not for the faint of heart. They would normally take a step back and I would continue that we need strong, dedicated Airmen to come up here. And the sign says it all, The Best Come North! To me, that speaks to the leaders, too. We need the best leaders here to help our Airmen to do the mission that is so important to do.

Do you think the bar been raised at Minot Air Force Base. Because of the dual missions?
“I do” answers Jones.
CMSgt. Jones will be headed to the Pentagon, and she is excited to be living in the District of Columbia area. CMSgt. Jones was appreciative of the Northern Sentry and the work we do it highlighting the efforts and success stories of the Airmen at Minot Air Force Base. In her words “I would pick up the paper and see young Airmen being showcased for doing their job, and that matters. From me, keep doing it, keep being the base newspaper.”

And to CMSgt Tori Jones, we say thank you, for helping us do our job these past two years…and yes, Only The Best Come North!