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380AEW Article

Airmen shadow the 380th AEW commander

  • Published

 

Airmen assigned to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing gained an inside look at leadership responsibilities by shadowing the wing’s commander. 

The opportunity allowed Airmen to observe the daily schedule and responsibilities of wing senior leaders, from strategic planning to decision making. 

For participants, the experience bridged the gap between their specific roles and the overarching mission of the 380th AEW while broadening their perspective of their senior leaders.

“I mean, it certainly is a lot of meetings. That’s what I got out of it, first and foremost—just a lot of meetings …,” laughed an executive officer from the 380th Expeditionary Medical Squadron. “But I feel like it was refreshing to see because a lot of times in the medical career field, you’re so focused on patient care; that encompasses most of your day. Seeing the top two (wing leaders) navigate the endless meetings and strategic landscape as smooth as they did was impressive to say the least.”

The shadowing initiative emphasized the importance of collaboration and interoperability within the wing’s various units, giving Airmen a clearer sense of how their work supports the overall mission.

“This made what we do in our squadron feel more operational,” the EMDS executive officer said. “Seeing the big picture of how us making sure the troops' medical needs are taken care of coincides with the overall mission … it was cool to see how everything every Airman does here connects to mission success.”

For some participants, the program helped broaden their perspectives on career opportunities within the Air Force.

“I’ve never been exposed to anything outside of the medical squadron because that’s always just been my path,” said a 380th EMDS medical technician. “But seeing the different things they do in different career fields—even down to weather—it’s cool. It’s eye-opening that there’s more than just what I’m used to at Joint Base San Antonio.”

As the 380th AEW supports regional missions, programs like this help to ensure Airmen at all levels understand their current contributions while preparing them for potential future roles as leaders. 

“Eventually, in your career, you grow toward leadership,” the medical technician said. “These commanders were not always in their current leadership roles. They aren’t necessarily specialized in their current position—it could be a physician, a pilot, or someone in finance who gets slotted there. Who knows? Maybe 20 years from now, I could be in a position like that.”

This program aims to achieve its goal by exposing Airmen to command responsibilities helping them to better understand the importance of leading resilient and agile-minded teams while allowing 380th AEW leaders to build stronger connections with those they lead. 

“This serves as an additional touchpoint with our Airmen,” said Col. Paul Sheets, 380th AEW commander. “We can learn something about them while providing an opportunity for them to provide direct feedback and ask questions on missions they might not be familiar with. I hope Airmen walk away with a little more pride in what they do and are motivated to get after our priorities of being combat ready and partner focused.”