22nd OSS Airman meets leadership on Capitol Hill Published Feb. 5, 2016 By Senior Airman Colby L. Hardin 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Mikell, 22nd OSS air traffic control training and standardization NCO in-charge, was sent to the Pentagon as part of the Capitol Hill Visit Program late last year. . Accompanied by Col. Albert Miller, 22nd Air Refueling Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Shawn Hughes, 22nd ARW command chief, the three McConnell Airmen met with leadership on Capitol Hill, in Washington D.C. The purpose of the trip was to discuss situations in the Air Force that impact the Airmen currently serving. Whether it was issues or good things happening around the Air Force, it was brought up during the discussion. Mikell was recommended by his squadron because of his leadership abilities and performance at work, and was eventually selected by the wing commander and command chief to present the wing. The trip to Capitol Hill really instilled new trust in Mikell by giving him a chance to be seen and heard by leadership. "I wasn't chosen because I was the best of the best," said Mikell. "I was chosen because I represent the lifestyle of the Airmen who are assigned to McConnell." Mikell was chosen to put a face to the issues being brought to the table by Miller and Hughes. As the lowest ranking person at the meetings, he was the one most closely associated with the average working Airman. "Needless to say, I was the low man on the totem pole," said Mikell. "But my rank really had little bearing on what happened, they stayed focus on the issues." The two day trip gave Mikell a little closure by allowing him to actually see and talk to the people who make the laws and rules we all follow. "It was really nice to put a personality to the people we see and read about all the time on the news," added Mikell. "It gave me a chance to see the human side of them."