News

Outstanding performers take flight

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Wendy Beauchaine
  • 446th Airlift Wing
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Six 446th Airlift Wing Reservists participated in the quarterly top-performer incentive flight Jan. 7; a flight which recognizes outstanding Reservists in the wing.
The Reservists departed McChord on the outbound unit training assembly shuttle so they could observe how their jobs support the wing mission.
"We used to have a unity focus flight," said Chief Master Sgt. Ron Campeau, 313th Airlift Squadron, who is heading up the incentive flight program.
"Back in the C-141 days, the Chiefs Group wanted to recognize quarterly award winners and top performers with a flight that would showcase our Reserve mission," he said. "We created this unity focus flight and I think it helped with retention as it was very popular."
The program was never launched after McChord's conversion to the C-17, so the Chiefs Group got together to come up with a new way to recognize Reservists and provide an opportunity for people see how they affect the mission.
"We decided on an incentive flight that would be scheduled with the UTA shuttle, since that was a reliable mission that offers everything we want to demonstrate," Chief Campeau said.
Currently, the incentive flight is limited to 12 Reservists nominated by their chain of command, and the Chiefs group selects the participants. Flights are quarterly, alternating between the A and B UTAs.
"I think the flight will really help retention," said Master Sgt. Timothy Stidhams, a 446th Logistics Readiness Flight Airman who flew on an incentive flight. "This flight gives us a look at other jobs in the Reserve and how we all play a part in the overall success of our mission. I think that improves morale, which improves retention."
Senior Airmen Terri Schmidt, a 446th Operations Support Flight mission control aviation resource manager, was selected for January's flight and saw it as a great opportunity.
"Since I work in mission control, I always see people coming through our office (on their way out on missions), so this is my opportunity to see the operational side of my job."
The incentive flight includes activities such as a combat offload, a simulated critical patient engine running offload, an aircraft backing, and an engine running onload of equipment.