For those Air Force members who might’ve thought about becoming a First Sergeant, the First Sergeant Symposium was the class to ask any questions about becoming a mentor and leader. On Sept 30-Oct 2, the First Sergeant Symposium was held at the Joint Training Center (JTC) on Minot AFB. The symposium was a condensed 3-day course from the month-long course offered at the First Sergeant Academy at Maxwell, AFB, AL. Instructors covered several, inter-connected subjects at the symposium.
The symposium instructors reviewed some scenarios that an interim First Sergeant, sometimes called the “First Shirt,” might encounter, such as death in command, interpersonal interactions and how to mediate some of those situations, and what to do if law enforcement arrests an Airman. According to Master Sergeant Christine Shoup, 5th MDG First Sergeant and symposium instructor, “it’s a lot of what would you handle and what have you seen scenarios. First Sergeants deal with a gamut of situations so we really never know what’s going to happen. We want to arm the symposium attendees with the best critical thinking opportunity to think about the situation from outside perspectives.”
Interim First Sergeants are informed about the different helping agencies available on base for all Airmen, such as the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Team (SAPRT), Family Advocacy, the Chaplain, the Legal Office, and others. Interim First Sergeants need to know what agencies there are to help Airmen in times of stress or during problematic situations. First Sergeants need to build relationships with these helping agencies.
Two aspects of performing a First Sergeant’s job are teaching Airmen discipline and accountability. Shoup states “a lot of it is [from] the perspective of the health of the Air Force as a whole while also caring for the member, disciplinary-wise. We don’t see into the future but holding people accountable because you don’t know [it] for the moment that it is and making sure that we document and conduct discipline fair and equitably across the Force. That’s the importance of the First Sergeant and the importance of our community. A lot of the symposium is explaining our position in advisement.”
Condensed to three days, this course is meant for those TSgts and MSgts thinking about becoming a First Sergeant but haven’t earned the rank yet to help them get an overview of what they may be subjected to. According to MSgt. Christine Hubbard, 5th MUNS First Sergeant and symposium instructor, “It’s to see if it is truly what they want to do prior to actually applying to be a First Sergeant. It is also there for young officers and other senior NCOs that just want to better their overall knowledge of how things work in that capacity as it relates to the people portion.” MSgt. Shoup and MSgt. Hubbard also explained that leaders must want to help, to do the job, and possess some level of empathy, not just anyone, because they never know what they will encounter as a First Sergeant. Everyone is vetted through their own First Sergeant to make sure they have the correct personality for the job. The instructors come from the First Sergeant Council on Minot AFB because they possess the unique perspective of being stationed at Minot AFB and understand the hardships associated with this location and mission.
TSgt. Drew Liechty, member of the 5th MUNS Squadron, Officer Training School candidate (OTS), and symposium attendee stated that the symposium will help him in his job because it provided the information and appropriate resources to take care of people with whatever they need, whether disciplinary or personal. Liechty also explained that the symposium will help him be ahead of the game when he becomes a new officer because problems don’t away and caring for people doesn’t go away when an NCO crosses over into the officer corps.
The most informative class for Liechty was the Counseling and Crisis Intervention class because it provided the information and standards to help people in difficult situations by being there, lending an ear, and providing resources along the way. Liechty’s biggest takeaway was hearing about the First Sergeant Council’s experiences helping people and how behind-the-scenes, personally rewarding they were for the Council members. It was eye-opening to him to see how much First Sergeants do for their squadrons.
There was a good mix of TSgts and MSgts and several TSgt Selects who attended the course. As a perk, attendees receive free breakfast and coffee each day of the symposium. When attendees complete the course, they receive a certificate and the “ability to hold the phone” or work in the First Sergeant role. It’s great to see the eagerness to learn. We have a lot of head nods as we go through stuff. A lot of the audience are people that have been affected, negatively or positively, by First Sergeants so they want to be one. They want to make that change. The attendees want to be a mentor, or they want to be a better First Sergeant than what they experienced in the past, MSgt. Shoup explained. MSgt. Hubbard agreed.
The First Sergeant’s Symposium is held twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. So, a TSgt or MSgt interested in becoming a First Sergeant and wanting to learn what the job entails, attend the First Sergeant Symposium in the spring. Acquire the ability “to hold the phone.”
On a humorous note, Airmen sometimes refer to an Air Force NCO who temporarily fills in for the First Sergeant when the “Shirt” is on leave, deployment, or TDY, as the “T-Shirt.” (The “T” stands for “Temporary.”)
