Cadets find a new perspective on their future

Published July 4, 2013
By Senior Airman Jacob Morgan
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Some have said that the key to being a good leader is staying focused on the mission and taking care of people. Future officers of the Air Force are taught this lesson in school and from time-to-time are put in positions to exercise it. What 12 Air Force Academy cadets came to realize while visiting the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing here, is there is more involved to balancing mission and people when put to practice especially in a deployed setting overseas.

Approximately 100 cadets from the AFA competed and were selected for a program called Deployed Operations. The program gives cadets an opportunity to see and appreciate how the Air Force executes its mission in a deployed environment.

Twelve of those selected were chosen to observe the operations tempo and work of the 380th. The goal of the program is to show future officers what it is like to lead when lives are at stake. Most importantly, what the Air Force will ask and expect of them once they commit to five years of service.

"This program is here for the cadets that ask themselves 'how can this program make me a better leader, and, one day, a good officer?'," said Capt. Patrick Kellerman, 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Munitions Flight commander. "Taking a humble approach and understanding the work that goes into the mission is the key to learning what it means to be an Air Force officer."

The 12 cadets spent roughly three days at each of the four groups, which are the 380th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, the 380th Expeditionary Operations Group, the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Group and the 380th Expeditionary Medical Group. According to Cadet Matt Waddell, the visit lasted two weeks, but the lessons will last a career.

"We came here to learn lessons from everyone," said Waddell. "We have gotten a lot of advice from officers, NCOs and Airmen. The biggest eye opener was seeing how much the enlisted force does for the mission."

With each group, they were paired with a different officer. The officers ranged from one year experience to twenty years; from a tactical perspective to a strategic.

"The biggest lesson was seeing how everything played together," said Waddell. "How officers and enlisted interact. How the maintenance group sustains and enhances the operations group and how the medical group and mission support group support everyone."

On June 27, Waddell spent the day with Kellerman, where he saw the usual morning meetings and layout of the 380th EMXS. Afterwards, Kellerman and Waddell went to the temporary munitions storage area, where Waddell received an in-depth lesson on what it means to take care of approximately 100 deployed warfighters working 12 hour days thousands of miles away from home.

According to Waddell, he originally wanted to be a pilot and that may still be an option, but after seeing the interactions and professionalism of the 380th EMXS, he may change his mind.

"This opportunity has opened my mind to so many different career paths," said Waddell. "I realized that a different career path would get me more involved with my Airmen, which is important to me. I learned that being a maintenance officer isn't about turning wrenches, it is about taking care of your people."

In two years, the 12 cadets that visited the 380th AEW will hopefully graduate and be promoted to second lieutenant. In two years of training at the Academy, a lot more lessons will be learned. However, according to Waddell, he will always remember the members of the 380th AEW and the lessons they taught him.

"The biggest take away is knowing that I will never ask someone to do something that I am not willing to do myself," said Waddell. "Everyone here had a sense of purpose, they work hard and the sense of community is amazing, it was truly a great experience."