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99th Air Base Wing's new command chief sets atmosphere.

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Oleksandra G. Manko
  • Nellis AFB Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. --  The 99th ABW new command chief master sergeant held his first enlisted call here Nov.2 at the base theater.

Chief Master Sgt. Robert Brooks came to Nellis last month from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., where he was the 30th Mission Support Group superintendent.

Chief Brooks spoke on several hot topics pertinent to the new, leaner Air Force. He emphasized the importance of good mentorship, prompting first-line supervisors to get more involved in their Airmen's lives.

He also went over the changes in enlisted performance reports. The chief said the Air Force can no longer afford to retain its Airmen based on inflated EPRs and urged the raters to be honest in their evaluations. He also encouraged the ratees to provide adequate feedback, which would allow those who review their records to see both sides of the story in case of any derogatory remarks on the report.

The chief advised supervisors to treat their Airmen as adults and expect more of them, so that they can grow. People give you what you expect, said Chief Brooks. He called that phenomenon the Pygmalion effect, referring to a mythological sculptor who fell in love with his own creation, which merciful gods brought to life, granting him happiness.

Pursuit of education during upgrade training was among the other things the chief brought up. He prompted the supervisors to encourage their Airmen to take classes while studying their career development courses. Previously, that was considered inappropriate. 

The command chief elaborated on one of the Air Force core values - "service before self." He explained that service before self doesn't mean service instead of self, that there needs to be balance, because if Airmen don't take care of themselves and their families, they will not be able to perform their duties to the fullest.

Finally, Chief Brooks mentioned that Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney McKinley, who has a habit of checking Airmen's knowledge of the Airman's Creed, will be visiting Nellis in the near future. The Creed is at http://www.af.mil/specials/creed/creed.html .