Misawa's newest master sergeants inducted

  • Published
  • By Master Allison Day
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  More than 40 newly selected master sergeants were inducted into the senior noncommissioned officer corps during an evening ceremony Friday at the Tohoku Club here.

But before the induction ceremony and as part of their transition to senior NCOs, they were required to take a three-day Professional Development Seminar Aug. 1. Classes were held at the Tohoku Club and inductees were instructed about their new roles and responsibilities in their units, across the base and throughout the Air Force.

"I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the seminar, but I was pleasantly surprised," said Tech. Sgt. Ines Dunsmore, 35th Fighter Wing NCOIC of wing executive information management. "We had classes on team building, discipline, personnel programs and physical training. We were able to participate in discussions and it was nice to get other people's point of views on certain topics. The seminar also included three panels - first sergeants, chiefs and commanders. They were all informative and included advice that I could use as a senior NCO."

At the induction ceremony, the guest speaker, Chief Master Sgt. Rodger Kirkpatrick, 35th Maintenance Squadron propulsion flight chief, gave more advice.

"As you step into the senior noncommissioned ranks, you need to know that things have changed," said Chief Kirkpatrick. "People listen to you more carefully. As senior noncommissioned officers you are entrusted with more power now than you've ever had before. You have more ability now to influence your subordinate' s behavior than you've ever had before. Good or bad, your Airmen are influenced more readily by you more than ever."

Because of this influence, potential is important, said the chief, for these new inductees to use their leadership skills to set and enforce standards. He also reminded Misawa's newest senior NCOs of the Enlisted Force Structure.

"It says that senior NCOs will exceed the standards and expectations levied upon their NCOs and Airmen," he said. "You will epitomize excellence, professionalism, and competence and serve as a role model for NCOs and Airmen to emulate."

If your standards are exceeded you can expect to have Airmen who will be right there with you, pushing the limits of excellence, he added.

He told the inductees, "Vincent Lombardi had this to say about leadership. 'Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it.' Tonight I challenge you to step up and lead; wear your stripes proudly and be the leaders you've spent your whole careers preparing to be."

Following is a list of those inducted into the senior NCO corps:

35th Fighter Wing
Jamie Anderson
Ines Dunsmore
Donald Hoobler
Dana Scumaci

35th Communications Squadron
Edward App
Jimmy Glover
Samuel Ishikawa
Jerome Manibusan

35th Civil Engineer Squadron
Marcus Armstrong
Lamar Heard

35th Maintenance Squadron
Jerome Bristow
Wilfredo Canedo
Laura Hernandez
Bobby Hines
Randy Howe
Josephine Krieger
Kevin Stees

35th Security Forces Squadron
Gerald Dion Jr.

35th Logistics Readiness Squadron
Christopher Dobbertin
Derrick Evans
Reginald McBride
Noellambert Roque

373rd Intelligence Group
Michelle Flatt
Maurice Mullinax

373rd Support Squadron
Patrick Hackman
Randy Hillsgrove
Ryan Hutchison
Sean Kidd
Donna Major

301st Intelligence Squadron
Eric Abraham
Jerry Krcik
Patrick Smith

35th Medical Operations Squadron
Rhonda Jones

35th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
William Lauder
Kevin Williams

35th Maintenance Operations Squadron
Jener Tiongson

35th Civil Engineer Squadron
William Light
Andrew Malinich
Rodney Moore
Garnet Sampson
Llyod Stinson

35th Services Squadron
Karen McDonald

35th Mission Support Squadron
Dennis Nelson

35th Contracting Squadron
John Rogers Jr.

35th Comptroller Squadron
Suzanne Trotman