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Deployed organization promotes personal, professional growth

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Bahja J. Jones
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  In deployed environments, many service members perform at increased stress levels, working longer hours in less than desirable conditions. Organizations at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here, like Rising Six, promote personal and professional development, and encourage camaraderie even in an expeditionary setting.

"Rising Six is an organization meant to provide a unified voice to leadership for all U.S. and Coalition forces ranking E-1 through E-6," said Tech. Sgt. David Young, the Rising Six president deployed from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, U.K. "We also work to provide our members with tools and opportunities that will enhance their time here and their military careers."

A focus of the organization is to encourage deployed service members to grow by offering professional development classes and opportunities for mentoring.

"Six months is a long time to have a gap in your professional development," Young said. "In a rapidly changing force, taking a six-month block off of learning, continuing education and volunteering it can stunt your professional growth."

During regular meetings, they invite subject matter experts to teach on subjects relevant to promoting good personal and professional habits to include teachings on financial independence and correcting military records and other topics that aren't necessarily covered all the time, Young said.

Promoting camaraderie is also among the group's priorities, presenting opportunities for service members to become more involved and meet new people here.

"People are deployed here from all over," said Tech. Sgt. Germania Rojas, the Rising Six vice president. "Morale and volunteer events give people an opportunity to meet people from different career fields and backgrounds, and allow them to network and learn from one another."

It also provides a healthy distraction from the stress of being deployed, she added.

"A lot of things can be done to make life better in a deployed location," Young said. "By working and supporting one another we can improve our quality of life."

Rising Six is committed to helping service members continue to grow in a deployed environment.

"It's obvious by looking at the promotion rates that it's very competitive," Young said. "One of the best places to demonstrate you are clearly exceeding is in a deployed environment. The expectation might be for the average person to come out here and just do their job in this tough environment. That's how you differentiate yourself, by getting involved and going beyond that expectation."

Rising Six meets the first and third Thursday of each month at the Independence Hall Dining Facility in the VIP room at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.