News

Bosses in the house

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Grant Saylor
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. --  National Boss Day is Oct. 16, 2011. But this year, it came a little early, in the form of the 446th Airlift Wing Employer Orientation Day on the first day of October here.

Thirty-four civilian employers set their alarm clocks early and bee-lined to McChord Field to experience what their Reservist does during a typical deployment scenario.

This event, typically held every April and October, aims to strengthen the relationship between civilian employers and the Air Force Reserve by giving employers a first-hand glimpse and a better understanding of the work performed by the citizen Airmen they employ.

"This has been an incredible experience," said David Mayfield, a senior program manager with the Boeing Company and civilian supervisor of Senior Master Sgt. Beatrice Kist from the 446th Maintenance Squadron. "I enjoyed this immensely as it was very enlightening to see what really goes on here [at the wing]."

The employers were greeted by wing leadership before receiving an intel briefing and "deployment" instructions. They were then shuffled through a mock deployment line, instructed on the use of chemical warfare suits, and briefed on the procedures involved in aeromedical evacuation. The employers were then transported to the flightline, where a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft awaited, engines rumbling, ready to whisk them to a simulated area of hostility, an ocean away.

In reality, the flight was a two-hour excursion contained to the greater Puget Sound area, but it nonetheless demonstrated to the employers the airlift prowess of the C-17, with an in-flight airdrop of a palletized cargo pod, and a post-landing drag-race-like combat offload of a truck-sized shipping container.

For Mayfield, who traveled all the way from St. Louis, Mo., the experience was especially rewarding. He has worked in a support role on Boeing military aircraft for 31 years, including the C-17, yet never flew in one until the day of this event.

"You tend to get caught up in the daily grind of delivering the product, and you don't get to really see what it's capable of," he said. "It's pretty awesome to see not just the warfighter machine, but the human effort behind it."

That human effort was in full gear during the orientation flight as Reservists sat side-by-side with their employers, explaining the configuration and capabilities of the aircraft that supports the wing mission. The employers rotated through the cockpit for a bird's eye view of the flight path and a chance to 'mic up' and talk via headset with the pilots.

"This has all been very exciting," said Dorothea Hayes, a services manager with Providence Elder Place in Seattle, and the civilian supervisor of Master Sgt. Amy Baker, a military pay technician with the 446th AW Financial Management Office.
Hayes said she was impressed with the professionalism that goes into the mission, and she sees that manifested in her Reservist.

"I've seen tremendous growth in Amy through her participation in the Reserve. I'm just really impressed with her and with what she does here."