Base officials help Airmen make ‘Right Decision’

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tiffany Orr
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Enlisted Airmen here within 12 to 15 months of their separation dates got a chance to learn about the benefits associated with continued military service Tuesday at the base theater.

During the monthly intimate four-hour "Right Decision" briefing, base career counselor Master Sgt. Lorenzo Jones, 62nd Mission Support Squadron, let Airmen who are exploring separation know about their entitlements with respect to career counseling, health care, education and finance -- some of the reasons Airmen decide to get out of the military.

Taking a no-pressure approach, Sergeant Jones and his team of speakers from various on-base agencies such as the Airman & Family Readiness Center and education center addressed these issues.

"This is not pressure from senior leadership to get you to reenlist," Sergeant Jones said at the briefing. "I'm laying all the information ... the good, the bad and the ugly at your feet. It's your decision whether or not to reenlist. You were a civilian before you came in, and hopefully you will become a productive civilian when you get out."

Though in the past, Airmen may have felt coerced into re-uping, Sergeant Jones' no-pressure approach was refreshing to Airmen like Staff Sgt. Alison Rudicel, 62nd Operations Support Squadron.

"I'm a first-term Airman who wanted more information for myself and my subordinates," she said.

"The briefing was very informative and well done. Sergeant Jones wasn't trying to sway your decision. He just threw the facts out there."

Most of the information Airmen learned during the briefing should have been familiar to them because supervisors are encouraged to give their subordinates an annual briefing on their military entitlements, Sergeant Jones said.

"First-line supervisors are the single biggest influence on an Airman's career path," he said. "If your supervisor is great, you can't wait to reenlist. The issue is always one of trust. If a person trusts his supervisor to intervene on his behalf, we experience higher rates of retention."

For more information on Air Force career paths, call Sergeant Jones at 982-3395.