Rock Solid Warrior: Senior Airman Charles R. McClung II

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- This week’s Rock Solid Warrior is Senior Airman Charles R. McClung II, the executive administrator assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron, deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. The Rock Solid Warrior program is a way to recognize and spotlight the Airmen of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing for their positive impact and commitment to the mission.

What is your current job title and unit?

I am the executive administrator for the 386th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron.

Which squadron and base are you deployed from?

I am deployed from the 394th Combat Training Squadron, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.

Why did you join the Air Force?
I joined because of my father being in the Navy and grandfather being in the Army. The military has been my whole life. This is all I ever wanted to do. Now it’s for me to raise my family and be able to support them.

How is your deployed unit/job different from your home unit/job?

For my deployed unit, I work with all the services members within FSS so I get to see and get involved with the different areas like the dining facility, the fitness center and the recreation center, whereas compared to my home unit I am working with B-2 and T-38 pilots.

What are some of your professional and personal goals?
A professional goal of mine is to go back to school and at least receive my CCAF degree. Hopefully I can also find the type of degree that interests me so I can eventually get my bachelor’s degree. I also would like to do a full 20 plus years in the Air Force. A personal goal of mine is to raise my kids to be the best they can be and to be able to support them and my wife. I want to be the best father and husband I can be for them.

What is your favorite part of your mission here?
My favorite part of the mission here is the impact I can bring here. I am kind of used to being in an office with two other admins or personnelists so being the only one in the office here, I can show that I am capable of completing all tasks without anyone else helping. Seeing that my impact is being shown outside the unit shows what I am capable of on my own.

What are some of your hobbies?
My hobbies are spending time with my wife and four kids. Every now and then I will go and play 1858 on the baseball team I am on with some of my friends back home. We travel all over to play the way the game was played back in the 1850s and 1860s. I also enjoy getting out to play soccer whether its intramurals or with the base team back home.

What are some of the challenges you face here? How do you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I am facing is also the same for my favorite part of the mission which is working in the office by myself. Trying to balance my own task with everything that needs to be done in the front office to also balancing my commander’s schedule and making sure all tasks and suspenses that come from her or my deputy commander are complete. I have created a few programs to make the process smoother so I can also keep track of these items.