Leading future leaders

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Brian Bosse
  • 22nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Deployment and Distribution Flight superintendent
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan., --  I vividly remember being new to the Air Force and seeing my supervisor being promoted to master sergeant in the senior NCO induction ceremony. I thought that it must be a real honor to attain such a rank and to enter a tier of responsibility and influence over subordinates.

My supervisor led my coworkers and I to great achievements, and set a positive example that engrained the attributes I practice today. I didn't realize it then, but my supervisor was a leader leading future leaders.

I never thought I would attain such a rank, but 10 years later I entered the SNCO tier. I had my SNCO induction ceremony and felt the same honor that my supervisor felt when he entered the SNCO corps. I felt ready to carry out my charges as a SNCO with pride and determination, putting the needs of the mission and people first.

Over the past six years as a SNCO, I've been successful in meeting the mission and leading future leaders so that one day, they will attain the coveted SNCO promotion.

The SNCO Induction ceremony is a right of passage that formally recognizes the end of one career milestone as a NCO, and the beginning of a new career milestone as a SNCO.

The Enlisted Force Structure outlines the awesome responsibilities that are required to be carried out as a SNCO with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. The top three are the elite of the enlisted force in the greatest Air Force the world has ever known.

The SNCO Induction ceremony emphasizes the importance of the responsibilities and impact a SNCO will have on the mission and people they lead. It doesn't just represent the pinning of a stripe, but the entrance into a cohesive team of the Top 3. Walking through the arch of sabers brings the new SNCOs into the Top 3, and tells leaders, peers and subordinates you are ready to lead without reservation.

Seventy-six McConnell technical sergeants have been selected for promotion to master sergeant. These inductees will attend the Professional Enhancement Seminar to further enrich their skills and prepare them for master sergeant. The McConnell Top 3 will honor the transition of these 76 NCO's during the 2011 Senior NCO Induction Ceremony on July 22, 2011, 6 p.m. in the Robert J. Dole Community Center Ballroom. This year's theme is "Leading Future Leaders."

Leaders influenced me, and I have led future leaders. The "right of passage" into the SNCO corps with this induction ceremony is one of honor and prestige that will continue on. Please come out and enjoy the ceremony.