Team AFPC epitomizes tagline taking care of Airman

  • Published
  • By By Toni Whaley
  • Air Force’s Personnel Center Public Affairs

Team members from the Directorates of Personnel Support and Military Personnel Operations take the Air Force’s Personnel Center tagline of Agile, Innovative and Responsive to heart.

Case in point for Responsiveness, last month when a Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, intelligence system technician was faced with a delayed promotion despite doing everything right, the team sprang into action to take care of SrA Christian Sharpe in a two-day turnaround.

The 366th Fighter Wing Military Personnel Flight reached out to Tech. Sgt. Robert Heiple of the Directorate of Military Personnel Operations on Oct. 19 requesting assistance in getting Sharpe’s promotion to senior airman updated and corrected. The unit wanted to have the matter resolved before Sharpe departed for his new assignment Oct. 23. Within two days, and just prior to his departure, the request was resolved.

“Because of amazing team and cross-tier teamwork, we were able to update the member’s promotion, which allowed his leadership to meet and recognize him in person at the PAX terminal,” said Tech. Sgt. Joseph DiRocco, noncommissioned officer in charge of promotions and evaluations.

When Sharpe enlisted in the Air Force, he was matched as an all source intelligence analyst (1N0X1). However, despite his drive and determination, Sharpe was unable to complete mission qualification training, which resulted in his removal from the 1N0 AFSC and led to him being Q-Coded. In the face of this setback Sharpe still had a desire to serve in the Air Force; so he applied and was subsequently selected for retraining in the cyberspace support career field.

Tech. Sgt. Russell Bedford, 366th Fighter Wing Intelligence Directorate flight chief, noticed that Sharpe was Q-Coded when his previous AFSC was removed, which made him ineligible to promote despite having received a new AFSC and meeting time in grade requirements.

Frontline leadership is always key and while AFPC successfully uses complex data systems to help take care of and develop Airmen, nothing substitutes for a local supervisor or MPF elevating situations for the AFPC team to aggressively tackle.

“Sharpe had done everything right,” Bedford said. “His drive was showcased while attending 3DO technical training from his dorm room during the COVID-19 pandemic at Mountain Home AFB. As a distance learner, Sharpe completed the entire course virtually, finishing each end of block examination with a 94 percent average and earning his Security + certification on his first try--a difficult task for industry professionals in the private sector.”

Once identified, AFPC was able to respond quickly. 

“The 366th Fighter Wing/A2 leadership team wanted Senior Airman Sharpe’s Case Management System case closed out before his PCS departure. Because of the efforts of the 366 FW MPF and Headquarters Air Force’s Personnel Center, we were able to recognize and promote Airman Sharpe, who was shocked at the news and could hardly believe what was happening,” Bedford said. “These are the success stories you always want to have as a leader and frontline supervisor.”

Bedford emphasized taking care of Airmen…for Sharpe and his situation, is “simply the right thing to do.”