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To Help or Not to Help: The First Sergeant's Council Debate
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We discuss a thought-provoking scenario involving a Tech Sergeant who lost all her belongings to a fraudulent moving company during a PCS. When she requested funds for a dining room table through Operation Warm Heart, all First Sergeants voted yes except one who claimed she "made a stupid decision."
• Debating whether choosing a DITY move constitutes a poor decision or a reasonable choice gone wrong
• Exploring the purpose of Operation Warm Heart and leadership's responsibility to airmen in need
• Questioning if helping service members after risks encourages bad behavior or fulfills our commitment
• Discussing creative alternatives like community donations versus direct financial assistance
• Examining how personal values influence leadership decisions when policy allows discretion
The podcast also covers Chief Master Sergeant initial mission command training, military decorations criteria, and Master Sergeant promotion rates reaching 23.42% this year. The show concludes with a celebration of being ranked among the top military leadership podcasts.
First Sergeant Dilemma: Family in Need
Speaker 1I want to talk about. Here we go. You know, usually on this podcast we got all these leaders, we got chiefs, we got wannabe leaders like Devon David, whoever he want to call himself. You know what I'm saying. We got all kinds of leaders. And for Sardons on this podcast, let me present to you a quick question or a scenario, and I'm curious to think what would you do in this situation? Here you go.
Speaker 1So at a specific base, you had a tech sergeant, female with five children, who was dual military, married dual military. They were in the midst of doing a PCS. Yes, please give it a sign, it looks terrible. Anyway, they were in the midst of doing a PCS and, like most military members, they decided to do a diddy move to save some money. So that's what they did. They went out. They found the company on the cheap Hired. Said company, company picked up their stuff like they normally would, and then they took off with their stuff and so the family went to their next location. When the family arrived at the next location, come to find out their goods didn't show up. So after further investigation, they found out their stuff was stolen by said company, the moving company that they hired. So they went out, they hired a lawyer Lawyer, did some investigation, found the company and then they took them to small claims court or a civil court. They won the settlement and so the family was awarded $18,000. But they were only going to get paid $1,000 per month until it's paid off. Until it's paid off.
Speaker 1And so the young family went out, bought whatever money they had left, bought some beds for their kids Remember, they have five children so they bought beds for their five children because they lost everything in that ordeal. And so the tech sergeant she decides to go to the first sergeants at the base and ask for some money to buy a dining room table $1,400 to be exact, under the Operation Warm Heart program. And, as you know, First Sergeant Council has multiple first sergeants on it and they all have to vote on whether they're going to give this money to the individual. On whether they're going to give this money to the individual, Every single first sergeant on the council voted yes, except for one that voted no. The first sergeant that said no. This was their rationale. They said they made a stupid decision, they decided to do something on the cheap and now they have to pay for it. Why should we give them money off a bad decision they made. Curious to hear your thoughts.
Speaker 3Let's start with Jess, thank you. So the mere fact that her stuff got stolen, um, that's the problem for me, because it's like she was going out on a limb and, yes, it's all service members, we ain't gonna act like we don't do it. We always be trying to look at what's the return on our investment when we PCS. So she was going to get that extra money and I would too. But to go to the first sergeant council I look at like that's a last. That means I've already done, like plan ABC, and now I'm coming to you as my alternate plan to those that did not fall through. Now, keep in mind, when you got more than four people in your family furniture a little bit more expensive, you know, because it's you got to pay for them extra chairs. So the fourteen hundred dollars for the, the dining room set, I look at it as feasible. Um, I just think you we can't go into these situations and look at it like hey, that ain't what I would have did, but that's just Can.
Speaker 1I interject real quick. Can we do a bite check with you, Jess?
Speaker 4Apparently, we're good now. It was my fault. It was my fault. Yeah, we're good now.
Speaker 1I'm sorry, jess, go ahead.
Speaker 3Pete, you muted me.
Speaker 4I did. It was at the beginning. It was at the beginning. It was at the beginning. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. As soon as they said it, I fixed it. As soon as they said it, I fixed it Because we can hear you. Fine, they can hear you, pete.
Speaker 3Your head cannot move with them. Shades on either. I hope you got those arrows All right. I hope you got those arrows Alright. Thank you, Freddie hey. So Bottom line is I hope y'all gave her the money for the tape.
Speaker 4I hope they did too. First, okay, so McCoy said I understand both sides. Like we said, this is the corner. This is your opportunity. If you want to get involved in the conversation, you can come on and give your audio and not just your tickety-tack. Type, type, type.
Speaker 3Come on and tell us in person why you see both sides.
Speaker 4Todd, you know what? For you, chief, for you no problem, wow, oh my God. Oh, you know what I'm saying. I don't say it all the time. Oh, you know what I'm saying. I don't say no, no problem as we take the glass off. No problem, no problem.
Speaker 1You should do the pee because he show comply real quick Like comply. We know why I don't say no, I don't comply.
Speaker 4Always pee fall, of course. Of course, hell of hair moments and potty language for all All right. So yes, like McCccoy says, we have the responsibility for the risk we incur when doing certain things what are those certain things?
Speaker 3so those certain things that I chose to use a private company versus the military company rob roller said, did they necessarily make a bad decision?
Speaker 4I'm not sure. Oh, we have a first sergeant in the in the building. As a council I would have. As a council I'll reach out to the military communities versus putting it to a vote first. Warm heart funds I like that too if, uh, anyone had a table or chairs to donate, that's what I said. Good idea, disagree, put them. Glasses back on, no problem, no problem, we ready. So I guess, let me give my opinion. Let me give my opinion.
Speaker 4I am To the fact it's full alert you're looking at the first sergeant wait, I'm thinking like what mccoy said, who said it a lot better than I could put it. We have a responsibility for the wrist we incur when doing certain things. John becker said a whole, whole, whole, whole lot. Uh, sounds like that first sergeant has been over outvoted. It's not uncommon to have someone, or a few people, say no when we vote on things.
Speaker 4I will say different locations have different budgets. On that, 1.4k requests would hit my current council hard. The previous one would have more than enough money.
Speaker 4I would press my peers to explain how they felt it's someone's fault for a company to steal their belonging. Had something similar happen to a lieutenant colonel to a lieutenant colonel? Okay, so what I? What I would say if this happened to me is you tried to come up, you made a decision, try to come up, and it went left. Now do I have a heart for the sentimental things You're not going to be able to recoup, no matter how much money somebody gives you, like pictures, uh, certificates, whatever else? Uh, yes, I do have a heart for that. But asking for money because you don't have a dining room table, because you try to do something you didn't have no business doing, is really your fault what's up for our for our also shirt. So if he want to chime in, he could chime in as well. In fact, sometimes there are low funds in the budget. I guess it does depend on that council's budget as well hold on pete, but you so like.
Speaker 3I just want to go back to your first statement because you will catch that person tried to come up. It's not always about coming up Like. Think about it Like you have to look at like as a parent, which one do I want and maybe again I'm devil's advocate because I ain't in, I'm just going off of the story but I will always look at efficiency and effectiveness, like we ain't always efficient when it comes to us in the military, because what you're not going to do is come and pick up my stuff and then tell me that you're going to be delayed in getting it there. When I got some kids that need their head in their bed, so if I got hurt, that is telling me that they could pick up my stuff and have it there to me in a week. I'm gonna go. What hurts it's not always about the money, I don't. I don't think that person went in like, hey, let me get this money up front okay, maybe because I'm a money person.
Speaker 4That's what I think okay, regardless of the situation, whether the reason is you have a free, 100% covered opportunity, you chose not to do that on your own accord. Like I said, if this was somewhere where the base didn't have tmo coverage, if this was a sequestration type thing, I have a lot more sympathy, but you chose to take that risk and it failed hold on now.
Speaker 3Don't act like dole draining this, because y'all, I don't know I don't know.
Speaker 4I don't know if they are not, but you chose to take the risk and fail. Uh, philly, what if that happened to you and you lost everything? 18k wouldn't even cover your shoes, bro. 100, 100 actually.
Speaker 1I got rid of most of my shoes all, all my money now I spent or I sold the majority of my good shoes, my really expensive shoes for this stuff in this room.
Speaker 4It won't cover the stuff in the room.
Speaker 1That's why I did a Diddy movie remember, you did the last one with me and I did the one here in Lackland, because I valued this stuff.
Speaker 4But you moved it yourself. You didn't hire a company.
Speaker 1No, no, no. Let me finish. Yeah, I didn't hire a company, but I moved it myself. I went, I got the U-Hauls truck. I did it for two weeks. Now what if I hired? You know, I got a U-Haul truck and the U-Haul truck broke down. Or it was a mechanical failure and it went off the side of the road and all my stuff got damaged and broken. Or maybe I went to a gas station and I left the back door open and somebody went there and grabbed the stuff. You would probably say the same thing hey, you should have had tmo pay for it. Or maybe you should have locked the back door to U-Haul.
Speaker 2But it happens your voice might ain't working, damn. But yeah. I understand.
Speaker 4Farrar said it's about convenience, what you mean? I don't know what that means either.
Speaker 1Oh, did he move, maybe.
Speaker 4Maybe, but I don't know, philly, what you think I I like I said, I said my piece. I just don't think I agree with what people say. There's other avenues besides private organizations. Uh, and, like I said, if it was for the kids in their beds, okay I understand, but you can go get air mattresses or whatever you need to do for the time being until you get the money.
Debating Responsibility vs. Compassion
Speaker 4So I understand this is a first world problem type analogy that we're coming up with type situation. There are ways to go around it. But I'm like, okay if and I'm agreeing with the other shirts if my organization had a hundred thousand dollars in warm heart, then 1.4 K is not going to hurt. But if I only have 10,000, 1.4 K is 10% of that. I got 500 or 3000 people on base, whatever it is that can all tap into warm heart. I can't give all of them 10%. That's not how you're're gonna run out of money real quick. So being real selective. And then it's like, okay if we're doing this for this situation, because to me this is just a bad decision. Somebody made what would be a reason that somebody would get the money. How would you, how could you possibly tell anybody no after this now the whole base don't know this. Whatever base this is, doesn't know all this situation. So I understand that you got some privacy in there. Go ahead, philly. I'll shut up.
Speaker 1It was not a bad decision. Can anyone right now say they've never went with a choice or a company that was cheaper? And, to your point, roll the dice Whether it was a company, whether it was a brand, an item? It's like, hey look, I know the better brand is this, but if I get the same brand that does close to the same thing but it's cheaper, I'm going to take my chances with that. It wasn't a bad decision. It was an unfortunate incident that happened to her. There's nothing that says you cannot say if Tia Mo moved her stuff it wouldn't have happened. It could have happened then too. Now the chances would have been lessened, but it could have happened then too. Let's see. Samal says asking is free. So I'm asking everyone for help. They can only say no. I agree. I think the right thing should have happened is let me just say this real quick about Operation Warm Heart.
Speaker 1First Sardines get money for Operation Warm Heart a lot of times from community partners. Community partners have all this money and you know it's a tax write-off. But that's besides the point and the first thing they tell us command chiefs, we got this money, we want to give it to the first sergeants that help the airmen and they give it to the first sergeants. They have their own account set up I think it's a 501C account, and they can put their money in there and it's supposed to help airmen. Now it doesn't say you can only help E1 through E4. No, you're right. Or you can only help if, say, they're homeless or their car is damaged. It doesn't say that, it just says help airmen.
Speaker 1So in this case this first sergeant counsel believed what happened to her deserved their help. Me personally I would have said $1,400 is a lot of money for a dining room table. There's much more of an urgent need that she has than the dining room table, at least from my perspective. I would have said look, we will meet you halfway. We will either give you half or we will buy you a dining room table, or we will look in the community and see if someone can donate it. I think when you have someone come to the council and they ask for a specific amount and you give it to them, that can set a precedent, because then they say, okay, well, I need a new transmission. I'll go to the first sergeants and say I need $2,000, so on and so forth. I think she needed help, but maybe not the type of help that she asked for my thoughts.
Speaker 4Jess, I'll let you go because I got some. Hopefully Samel is on here because I got something to say to him.
Speaker 3Go ahead, Jess, Do you have someone calling in. No, you can go, Pete.
Speaker 4So, samel, I hear what you're saying. He said asking is free, so I'm asking everyone for help. They can only say no, my, and this might be different. And I'm agreeing with McCoy saying there's more coverage if it happens. On government, I agree with Farrar also, who also said the TMO contractors are terrible. We all use them. They suck. We understand that. Here's what I'll say.
Speaker 4Samel, if I go to the casino and put down a thousand dollars on black and it spins red, should I go to warm heart and be like I lost a thousand dollars? Or let me give you another analogy. Say that I invest in a stock and the stock goes to zero. It had all these great reviews saying it's going to be the best thing since sliced bread. I'm trying to come up, I'm trying to make an investment to make my family better and I lose $1,400. Should I go to them and say, hey, can I give my $1,400 or my $1,400 back because I tried to invest in something? Samel, I'm interested in your point and anybody else would like to have dialogue.
Speaker 4Just uh, uh, philly, hold on. Let me get to these two parts real quick. So that part is a big question as well the change in the situation, when we start peeling back the layers. Once we ask about the situation, what greater needs or how we can help, is another way. Uh, to real 100 right words matter it? Uh, it was delivered wrong. The money was essentially being asked to help covering expenses for the move and recovering what can be purchased with the ass $1,400. Obviously, the one she I'm sorry, mccoy says. Obviously the ones she chose are even worse. Talk about the moving company. John continues to say go to Warm Heart with a gambling request. Your shirt's going to refer you to gambling self ADAPT. I understand that. Let me in, bro. All right, we'll get some L in Jess, philly, while I'm doing that. Go ahead, off to y'all.
Speaker 1I'll defer to Jess.
Speaker 3I mean I'm still sticking with. I just regardless. I think I do like what's her name? Alicia's Comment when she was talking about the community. I'm just all about collaborative efforts. How can we ease the pain of this couple or mom when it comes to her kids? And making sure?
Speaker 3I always think about decisions is safety, security and reliability. Yes, my mindset is still stuck on certain things in the military, but it's like am I adding value to the safety of this family? Am I adding value to the reliability in which we are? I don't care what rank you are If you lie to me and tell me for years that we are brothers and sisters in arms, when I don't even get along with my own flesh and blood sometimes, but I still help them. I'm just looking at it from that perspective. I just want to help this family. How we help them is shouldn't matter, because I think about the humility.
Speaker 3A lot of us I don't care how long you have been in, I don't care what rank or how many strikes or stars you got on Some of us still struggle with asking for help. So that's the biggest struggle as well. It's like if I'm putting myself in a position to ask you, it's because I really need it. So I'm looking at it from that perspective as well. This person has came to y'all because they really need it, and probably she has fought on her own for so many times, so it's like now she's exhausted. Let me turn it over to somebody else who may have the resources to help me. I don't know, pete, you know it's a counselor in me, you know.
Speaker 4I feel you Let me get to Ricky's point. Y'all got to tell me if Samil makes it in because I can't see uh. So if the member would have went through the military company and lost everything, that would be considered a smart, unfortunate move question mark and everyone would have felt bad for the member and voted yes. Diddy moves is the option that the member felt best fits the needs. Either way, it is unfortunate. Find the money for the member. P. I understand it's unfortunate what I'm saying. With the government you're covered. Now you have to put in claims that you probably won't get back for years, if ever, and a bunch of crap that goes along with it. But but, but that is a safe option, agree, how can we help this family? Uh, thomas said, uh, terrell, for, okay, I can get on board with that, 100%. Okay, okay, we having some people turn around, billy, anything, I just want to say one last thing.
Speaker 1The examples you use were I don't think they were. They related well, to the situation. They related well to the situation Because, again, your example of if you invest in a company and they go belly up, that's the risk you take, that a normal person would think if you invest in a company. Case in point, when people are investing in, what was that one? I forgot the coin, one that people were piling their money into.
Speaker 3Dogecoin.
Speaker 1Yeah, no, no, no, no. It was the other one, dogecoin, the one Pete told me to do one time yeah, dogecoin, yeah, dogecoin, yeah, I ain't make no money off of that, oh well. Or GameStop Everybody was pouring money into GameStop and then you lost all that money. Those are the things you would expect to happen when you move. The worst thing you think that could happen is your stuff gets broken, damaged, maybe some items lost, not your whole shipment. I do feel bad.
Speaker 4I do feel bad. It's a circumstance that should not come up all the time. For how many moves we do and how many diddy moves, the situation is one in whatever thousands, hundreds, thousands, millions. It's an uncommon thing. I get this. Mccoy says so. They did not get DLA and pay for their weight ticket. I don't know that. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 1Like I said, it didn't happen at my base Could have got a little bit more information. There's no doubt in my mind she needed to help, but they could have got a little bit more information. What's up Samal? What's up bro? Okay, thank you.
Speaker 4All right, I got to assign this new one. We'll do this Big dog he out there rolling in the streets. Hold on, we might not be able to hear you. Let me see he's on two Ming. We can hear you going in and out, but we can hear you. Let me fix your camera up.
Speaker 1He got that all white on that all white on, oh shit. He got the all white on that. All white on, oh shit. He got the Salt-N-Pepa beer. Alright, Salt-N-Pepa gang, I'll be joining you soon.
Speaker 4Salt-N-Pepa gang. Samel, can you hear us man? He too cool for school right now. I don't know if he driving or what. Were he at the back roads of Rhode Island or where he at.
Speaker 1Samal. Can you hear us, bro? Rhode Island.
Speaker 2Yeah, I can hear y'all. I just can't hear y'all loud enough, man, so I can get up in here.
Speaker 4Oh you good, we can hear you loud and clear. Let me turn everybody up, help you out a little bit. We can hear you loud and clear. Let me turn everybody up, help you out a little bit. We can hear you loud and clear now.
Speaker 2Can you hear me?
Speaker 4all right, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2Because I can't hear y'all. Maybe it's operating on my side.
Speaker 3We can hear you.
Speaker 4I can't hear y'all you talking through the car. He's in Connecticut.
Speaker 3Is he what's?
Speaker 2up AP, I'm going to get off man and I'm going to try to get back on man.
Speaker 4Okay, All right, all right, All right. So why is someone else figuring that out? Go to. Todd Simmons says who did the member trust enough to ask these types of questions to before she made this mistake? Trust did mentorship a hundred percent and, like McCoy said, if I see the company got one star Yahoo, but they the cheapest. Is that not a bad idea? A hundred percent is a bad idea 100% is a bad idea.
Speaker 1That's not true. That's a risky idea. That's a risky idea. Hey, I've had times where I've went through a company that their reviews weren't that great and I went through them anyway and it worked out, so it wasn't a bad idea, but you took a risk. So that's what I'm saying. It's not a bad idea, it's a risk.
Speaker 4Okay, okay, I'll give you that. I'll give you that it's a big risk. But the my problem is when you take a risk, you shouldn't be sitting there with your hand out asking for money back because you took a risk no man, you missing a point.
Speaker 1It's different because here's what I say if I took a risk and I decided to um, play the, here's my favorite. If I took a risk on the back of a bus and I bet my rent money on a shell game in the back of a bus and I lost it and one, I was stupid enough to go to the council and tell y'all hey look, I lost my rent money. I'm about to be on the street. Well, how'd you lose your rent money? Oh, in the shell game on the back of a bus. That's stupid. That's stupid. That's stupid.
Speaker 4But losing my rent money because somebody robbed me or because I put it underneath my mattress and somebody broke in my home and took it, that was just a risk, be a bad analogy, but you ever seen those youtube short videos of people that go through the hood with their chains on and everything and then they get robbed and people like that's a dumb idea? This, to me, is around the same thing. It's a dumb idea. Now, now, now, now, now we all have done it, we all have done, but we all mostly use reputable companies. I'm not saying this company was or wasn't reputable, reputable, reputable but but but you lost. Don't be going around with your handout after you lose when there was a safe bet to go through. There's two, three comments that we have to get to, so let me get to.
Speaker 1So let me get to these.
Speaker 3Thanks, todd, you can put the person in five different situations together, sir. I'm just trying to give analogies to have some kind of understanding. Don't take your juice while being a menace in the hood, like so many different elements hey, todd, there was no malice in her decision.
Speaker 4It wasn't illegal, unethical or moral. I said that it was a decision she just lost. All right, let me get to uh, mick williams. Congratulations on the retirement again, uh job.
Speaker 1Congratulations, hey. If you need a home, go see. Oh go see, go see her for a new home.
Speaker 4I'm sorry, go ahead uh, listen, using tmo isn't always the best option. We just got a 15k settlement from, I guess, tmo. Things that were broken in the move and this was tv, couches, beds, that, uh, that they broke help the people? Maybe not. That will help the people. Maybe not that they top dollar items, but something to let them get started and have renter's insurance. Did they have that? I don't know about the renter's insurance? Did they have that? I don't know about the renter. There's a lot of stuff I don't know like I said didn't happen here, so a lot of stuff I don't know. Uh, terrell says diddy moves are not uncommon. I agree with that and I'd argue that majority that do it doesn't seek trust mentorship on it either. Only advice most give or get is it saves you time and makes you money. The worst advice I ever heard is that, right there, all money ain't good money. Fast money definitely isn't always good money.
Speaker 3TMO isn't the safe bet. You told me money, good, keith.
Speaker 4You said what now? Yes, thank you.
Speaker 3Somebody need to listen to Megan Estelle. And she told me money good, Pete. You said what now? Yes, thank you. I'm going to need you to listen to Megan Estelle and she told me money good.
Speaker 4I love it. I love it. Tmo isn't the same, but it's what we got to offer, just like Tricare. Babe, I agree with that. I agree, no malice, but there are resources that can help the situation. A lot of comments are flying in. Pete already can't read.
Speaker 6You can't cook it like that, thank you I appreciate that I appreciate that y'all.
Speaker 4I was in the rest, no big deal, uh, walking out the store, all right. Thanks for listening. Thanks for listening, alright, your thoughts. I vote. Let's put a vote.
Speaker 1Let's put this On the back of the stove and move on to another topic. So when Samil can get back in, we can jump back into that one.
Speaker 4Why Me and McCoy should run the shirt council. Me and McCoy should definitely run the shirt council. Jess, me and McCoy should run. I vote McCoy for president. I'll be the VP.
Speaker 3Baby Parliament to put y'all in y'all place To understand. It's like dealing with Lean Sigma 6 With y'all. Y'all need to be asked repetitively like different questions to help y'all like blossom into the care bears that y'all really are like. Y'all have a hard exterior but I really need y'all to look at like don't think about what you would do, think about what the most common denominator would do based off of not having as much. And again, don't tie rank to experience. I don't give. This person is a tech sergeant.
Speaker 4Some people don't know what they don't know you're right, but like, oh man, okay, anyway, we'll get off topic, because we'll never get off it if we don't because baby between you and mccoy, it's like. Me and McCoy Are going to run the shirt council. I might stay in the military If McCoy goes shirt and I'll be the. I'll be the vice president For two years.
Speaker 3And let me be on the side Helping somebody Right. They complain Against both of y'all.
Chief Training and Leadership Development
Speaker 4That's correct. That help, that's not help. Y'all running like North Korea and Russia Get out of here. That's not help. Y'all running like North Korea and Russia Get out of here. That's right. Straight dictatorship that's right. That's right. Please help them. I understand, I understand, I understand. All right, go ahead, philly, you got the next topic.
Speaker 1Because I got one. Okay, so just doing my trolling the past week, oh Lord. First off, congratulations to all the brand-new Chiefs that just got promoted. Shout-out to Nicholas Jackson. He just had his promotion ceremony yesterday. Shout-out to Nick Jack. Nick Jack Action Jackson, one of the brand-new, you're going to get the Comanche fire, nick Jack. Nick Jack Action Jackson, one of the brand new, we're going to get the command chief fired. Congratulations, nick Jack. Congratulations to Scott Roy, gina Monroe, all pinned on chief Tarana Hunter, all you guys.
Speaker 1So the reason why I bring that up is because they had the latest, or I believe it was the first, chief Initial Mission Command Training. I heard about it Last week, if you don't know what that is. Basically it's an initiative from the new SimSaf to bring all the brand new chiefs together and they go out and they train together in locations like Tyndall, like at Silver Flag. They do different things that airmen would do in the field. It's a way to bring cohesion, camaraderie and awareness to mission type orders and aphrodisiac and things of that nature.
Speaker 1So during my trolling I've noticed a couple of pictures, namely from the Airman NCO page and some other avenues a lot of people having issues with this training. One the amount of money it took to bring a bunch of chiefs from across the Air Force to this training. So a lot of folks had comments such as it's useless, needless, waste of money. They could be using the money in something else. And so I said to myself hmm, that's pretty interesting. So for me. Well, let me say this first. I'm curious to see what you guys think. What do y'all think? Y'all think this initial mission command training is useful for chiefs, or you think it's just a way to just bring chiefs together? To think it's just a way to just bring chiefs together to hang out and do things stuff jess, I'll let you go first I mean I saw some of the pictures shout out to deandra parks.
Speaker 3I saw her um as well. I I mean I don't know what to think because at the end of the day, I think by the time you make it to chief, there are certain things that you need in your toolbox to pour back into your people, bringing them together about things that they should already know. At this level Maybe they look at it as rusty and dusty. They're trying to see if you got what it takes to make sure that you can empower and encourage your people when it's time for them to leave out to do mission command. But I mean I don't know what's. What did it? What do the old folks say? Um, if you like it, I love it. But I mean I don't know. I think my the timing, I do think, is good, because was this? This is the question that I had was this this their chief orientation, or is this the new chief leadership academy?
Speaker 1OK, so that one I'm not sure. I know this is all for brand new chiefs, all the chiefs that made it. I don't, I'm not sure, I can't remember. This replaces, like, say, the chief leadership course or things of that nature. That one I'm not sure, but it was a mandatory requirement for all chiefs that just pinned on or about to put on and the only way they can get out of this course is they had to be excused from the SIMSF. Oh wow.
Speaker 4That's pretty important.
Speaker 3I mean I would love to hear someone that actually attended, if they were listening, to come on and talk to their experience about it and what they thought. But I mean, I would love to hear someone that actually attended, if they were listening, to come on and talk to their experience about it and what they thought. But I mean, I ain't got nothing to give.
Speaker 1So Rodney Dunn says the training was not useless. Being in CE and have gone through multiple silver flags, it's good to see top leadership to go back to the basics of developmental development style training, to show others what will be expected of them in the future. So here's my quick thoughts while we wait for some more comments. Oh, hold on, why are they orientation? Thank you, jerry. Shout out to you, brother, let's see. Rodney says you can save Jesus, and someone from the Airman NCO page will still complain. That is true.
Speaker 3Baby, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm with Rodney when I think about that page, and maybe because I haven't been on Facebook in a while. But I think about the person living in a basement with all them damn donuts and a bat and a keyboard. Holy shit, you probably can't even get up and walk to the mailbox. But you got so much to say about a time that you're not currently serving Like I just don't get it.
Speaker 4They said new chief mass sergeant vacation Wow.
Speaker 3That's what they said.
Speaker 1Yeah, they said something to the effect of they said if chiefs at this point don't understand aphrodisiac or what's expected out of them in the field, then they shouldn't be chiefs. Then I also heard how many chiefs are actually going to be in the field when the flag goes up. That's a good point. I don't agree with that necessarily, but I thought it was interesting. That's the perception that some folks have about chiefs that they won't go to the field and they won't be in the trenches doing stuff.
Speaker 3I just have a problem with. Everybody got an opinion about a level that they have not served at a bent in. I always struggle with that. It's like people want to tell you what you're supposed to do, what you're in, like they've never reached or been at that level, or even being at that level Sometimes. Like your experience is shape, how you move. It shapes your actions, decisions and behaviors. I mean, pete, you can attest to it. Like you say you're a money person, like so you know you find pride and value in those type of things.
Speaker 3I'm a people person. I feel like the dual threat is learning how to be a people and perform. You just got a lot of people who don't understand what that looks like and for me, like I'm not gonna lie to you, I think that's part of the part of the reason why I am leaving jrotc and going to corporate like it's really time to take off that uniform and like I'll support y'all from afar, but that's not my jam, no more. I feel like those people that attended that training if it was for them, let it be helpful for them. But those people on that page, like child please.
Speaker 4So John Becker with some insights said from the chiefs here. They said it was beneficial and brought back some good talking points. He also said they're doing it with first sergeants too. Pacaf just did something similar. Ricky said social media is a snapshot. A couple of pictures. Pics made it look like they were having a blast. I believe the training was needed. They need to cancel airman NCO page.
Speaker 3Amen, Ricky.
Speaker 1I don't disagree. I think there's some benefit to it and the reason why is because there are some. There are some chiefs who, in their particular AFSC or in their career, have never been exposed to that type of training. I've read some comments from some good friends who put on chief and they said they were nervous going into it because they didn't know what to expect. Well, you have some career fields that I mean not big enough cops or engineers, but that's all we did. Our whole career is going someplace and doing field training. Well, you have some AFCs. They don't normally get to do that and that's what they're trying to express.
Speaker 1When it comes to mission-ready airmen and aphrodisiacs and DCWs, You're going to need more chiefs to be more aware of what's going to be required, of them being in the field. Now, I don't blame airmen for thinking it's not useful, because they think about all of the conferences that were reduced or on a lower scale, and then maybe some that Houston was able to go but can't. But they see all these chiefs go. They don't look at it from the lens of okay. Just because they're chiefs doesn't mean they still don't need to learn or develop. They see a bunch of chiefs go off and they assume there's some kind of hangout party, and so I don't think. And to the Airman's Show page, I don't necessarily think it should be canceled, but I do think a lot of the folks on there when they make these comments that come off anonymous, or these old retired people that just troll, that's what makes the page bad.
Speaker 4Thomas White brought up a good point. Uh, it's not about the chiefs not understanding aphorgen, it's not. It's about getting the hands-on experience for what they are going to be asking the airmen to do. That's a good point. That's a really good point. I disagree with that. Oh, here we.
Speaker 3I thought that was a good point with that here's the reason why it's what you're writing does say. All I see is Vietnam.
Speaker 4He says CE and SFS have always been in the field, like they're going back to Vietnam. Yeah, that's true. The 100% we can't get past.
Speaker 1the 70s, I think, chiefs in a way understand what airmen are going to do in the field. They just got to be able to understand how they're linked to the to do in the field. They just got to be able to understand how they're linked to the airmen in the field, because a lot of times chiefs assume from the operational strategic perspective, we take the orders from the commander or we dish it out to the seniors masters and they dish it to the NCOs. But what they're trying to get chiefs to understand is we need you in the field doing what the airmen do and understanding the type of things airmen are going to be required to do in the field. Can I?
Speaker 4say something. Oh, there we go. Uh, that page has two 230 000 followers in the world of social media followers. That that's life having 10 followers. That page has 230,000 followers In the world of social media followers. That's life having 10 followers. So giving energy is a giant waste of time.
Speaker 4I agree. I don't think the page needs to go away. I think it need to dictate how much energy you give a page like that. If you don't like it, get off of it. But obviously, you know, misery loves company. Uh, we're saying the same thing, he's saying, y'all are saying the same thing.
Speaker 4So I will say, with the social media, pictures are worth a thousand words and I see a lot of chiefs in there. I just had to go to it while you guys were sitting here talking, and there's some pictures with a bunch of chiefs in, uh, you know, their old vietnam helmet helmet, no flak vest on with a blue m4 rifle. There I will say that is not your job at all. If, if, chiefs are up front holding the front line with rifles, all the airmen are dead and something is terribly wrong. So that's where I'll disagree. The a4 gen lifestyle needs to be somewhat of what chiefs will be doing.
Speaker 4Now to Jeff's point. I'm not a chief, never be a chief. I'm not sure exactly what chiefs do. That's just my understanding, if you want to say, from a big, a airman perspective. That's what I'm thinking. And my other argument I'm surprised a lot of chiefs are out there Because a lot of chiefs I know are on profile. So I'm like how the hell did they get all these chiefs out there? Because about 80% of the chiefs I know Are all on profile, can't walk from me to you.
Speaker 3So what you're going to do Is be putting people's business out About our elements.
Speaker 4I'm just saying I'm just saying so, yeah, gary, jerry, I always pronounce that wrong. Wife is not an outdoor person, but she enjoyed it. She came back with the airman mindset of readiness. Okay, I appreciate that. Warfighter Pete, what did you say? Warfighter, I'm sorry, should make an airman group council To go with their? Oh, to go with them. Okay, sure, they're not going to do that Because it's too much money. So Alicia said I enjoy being CE shirt as they require me to go through their exercises and training and made me understand more what stress them and what they go through, to include how it affects them out there in their families. If I stayed longer, I was supposed to go to the training and would have went. So I don't see the issue with it. At the end of the day, no one will be happy ever. Oh Strother said 80% family. Nah, don't do us like that. I'm just being honest. Just being honest. They're going to start doing it in tech school from what I heard. Thank you, becker, putting in a lot of good points.
Speaker 3Wait till you retire. Don't talk about having. I don't want to see you wearing nothing that has DDd214 on it. I don't even pop out that id talking about, do y'all offer military discount?
Speaker 4I'll say that yes, you know, I'll say that, that one always stays at the ready, that one stays at the hip, ready to fire.
Speaker 3I ain't gonna. I went to the doctor and I I got my placard because of my ms. So some days when my legs be weak, but I show parking in a handicapped parking spot.
Speaker 4Already then.
Speaker 3She was like you, look like you're 12. Why are you parking here?
Speaker 4Already then.
Speaker 3I got that blue and white placard card I said, ma'am, because you know I have an invisible disease that requires me to park close when I'm feeling weak.
Speaker 4She said weak where I said mentally disease that requires me to park close when I'm feeling weak and it's just a weak wear, I said mentally. I said, yeah, have a good day me too, as y'all could tell me too. Uh, but hey, if we're in the same place, at the same time, with the same place, we're gonna be fighting for the same parking spot they pull up beside it when it's not.
Speaker 4That's fine, that's fine, but no, I at the end to put a bow on it, philly, and you could take it. But uh, I don't think it was a bad idea. Hopefully it was money well spent. It sounds like from a couple people that were on here it was money well spent and to me training is all about what you get out of it. Two people can go to the exact same training, somebody can get absolutely nothing. Somebody can get the best training in the world and, like everybody's saying, you're not going to please everybody. So, yeah, perspective.
Speaker 1Good point. I think it's a great start. Two quick things. Thomas White mentioned a comment about band of brothers. I think what we're trying to do is get I mean, it's no different than what the Army does right In the Army.
Speaker 1When they deploy everyone's in the field, not just the privates or the corporates or the staff, sergeants, sergeant Major's out there with them, the first sergeant, they're in. What I mean in the field, they're 9 to 10 Air Force, not just senior enlisted leaders, but leaders in general, to walk the ground with the airmen. So you can see it from their perspective. And then not only that, I think this is a great start, but I think the key is what they do when they go back to their home station. But I think the key is what they do when they go back to their home station, Like if I'm a chief and I went through something like this and I'm enlightened and I'm like, oh well, ok. This is why it's important for me, as an enlisted leader, to understand all this stuff with my airmen are doing. The key is is what I'm going to do when I go back to the home station. Am I going to continue this mindset or is it going?
Speaker 4to be just a snapshot in time, where I forget about it later. That's the key, right man? We'll see. I guess we'll see, but no, I agree what you're saying about the army Like I love how the army does it, because the lieutenants lead formations. You know they're out there in front of what you would call guard mount for security force personnel or just formations. They are leading it every time. They are out there in front wherever the privates are doing. They might not be doing the same thing, but they're in the same area and the private can see the lieutenant doing, the lieutenant can see the private. Blah, blah, blah and so on and so on. The only person who's not out there is the commander. It's the only person I've never seen out there. Philly remembers we used to work for that major. What was his name? In Ballard? Cool as hell, young major. What was our commander's name?
Speaker 1Oh, you're talking about the Army major.
Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, I can't remember his name, but I know who you're talking about. Yeah, cool as hell. But he used to love go out there and he would not be on patrol riding with you, but he would sure go out there and say hi to everybody, same thing most commanders do. But uh, he also was in the office handling business, you know.
Master Sergeant Promotions and Top Three
Speaker 1It was a good example sarin blackman oh yeah, blackman yacota yo that yo I'll go to fight with him anytime. This dude, when he was in the field he's in the dang dfp. You Right, ideally that's how it should work. It should. But yeah, all right, yo let's transition. One more thing for our military and then we can jump off military. You know, mass Sergeant results is coming out next week. Good luck to all folks Going up for Master Sergeant. So, according to the latest statistics, out of AFPC, 6,043 technical sergeants for promotion mass sergeant were selected of 25,805 eligibles, with a selection rate of 23.42%.
Speaker 6Wow.
Speaker 1So, as you know that transition to mass sergeant, they entered the top three. So I want to put out two questions to you, two-part questions. One how critical do you think is the transition from Technical Sergeant to Master Sergeant? And then two, why is it that the top three includes the Master Sergeant, cm master sergeants and chief master sergeants, but the chief master sergeants I'm poking myself are never at the top three or rarely at the top three or we're not kind of considered part of the top three, but we are.
Speaker 3Jeff, y'all always going to me. Well, I look at the Tech Sergeant transition to Master Sergeant. I look at it like the quarters of a football game. I remember speaking at the Maxwell Senior NCO induction. As a Master Sergeant, I just think you're moving from being a team player to now the coach of the team. I think Master Sergeant is so pivotal because you're not. It's like you're stuck in the middle. It's like you're the section chief or the flight chief. You're still close to leadership, meaning the chief and the senior Master Sergeant, but you're also still close to the airman. So I look at it like that's the first quarter for anybody that is coming in learning how to truly manage teams be a collaborative leader.
Speaker 3What I mean by collaborative is sometimes you do need to be able to go back and talk to your people, because I would always get there. They're like well, you need to make a decision. You're indecisive. I'm like I'm not indecisive. I value the people on my team that typically were always older than me or had been in the service longer than me. So when it comes to decision making, I want their decision input, because when I'm tired of in the front and champion, I need to know those people that I made this decision with can take on that position and continue to fight.
Speaker 3So I think, master Sergeant, I'm happy to hear the results, I'm happy for those who have put in the hard work and will be potentially selected for it. But, like we've always said, like even if you're not selected for it, just know that your time is coming. I think, as a chief, I do agree. I enjoy still being a part of top three as a chief, not just always as an advisor, but going in to look at the opportunities that may exist for my senior master sergeants or my master sergeants who weren't able to attend the meetings because they were probably bunkering down on their sections for their people to attend other things. So it was always important to attend those top three meetings to give out information, especially dealing with FSS, because at the time that I was in, fss was changing so much with the, my FSS.
Speaker 4Pete, why are you laughing? Oh, samel's back here. Hey, samel, what's up? Peoples? Uh, we can hear you loud and clear now, yeah okay, yeah, good, that's what's up.
Speaker 2Hey, well, I'm not gonna let's, let's not go backwards. I mean, we could definitely do that, but you guys talk about a lot of issues between that first thing with Pete that I wanted to clarify with him. So I'm ready to jump in where you guys are at right now, if you'll allow me to.
Speaker 1No, actually you can, but can you just quickly touch on that first topic? We went on about the young tech sergeant getting the money. What your thoughts would be went on about the young tech sergeant getting the money.
Speaker 2What your thoughts would be. Yeah, so I'm not going to let P hijack my comment, though, because you started throwing all types of nonsense about gambling and all Nah, bro, come on, man, that's like totally different. P you can't even do that. Yo, you can't even do that. So if someone's out there gambling and taking their money in the stock market, I mean that's not even the same as as as a tech sergeant, that's that did exactly what she did. I mean those are two totally different scenarios. P you can't do that.
Speaker 4It's the same thing, you took a bet.
Speaker 2Nah, bro, yo, no, sir, no, sir, no, sir. So I don't look at it like that. I don't look at it like that and in a situation and this is why I say Asking is free, right, because Nine times out of ten, and I can only speak through Through my leadership lens, right Is nine times out of ten If an airman comes to me and says yo, sergeant Brown, or you know, when I was a supervisor, I was a senior airman, senior airman Brown, I got a question for you. You know I'm saying this situation happened. I am, they knew that I was.
Speaker 2I was like knee deep in their business trying to help them progress. So if, if they're giving me information, then I say you know what, let's try to go out and do X, y and Z with these professional organizations, then I think that's a fair thing to do. Right, because the supervisor is involved. So my thing is you've got leadership at, should be at at all these various levels to say, yes, let's look into these organizations or fund pots of money or whatever the case may be, to get some help. If someone come to me talking about they gambled x, y and z, bro, you know, turn my back on you, bro. That's a bad decision that you made, but if someone was trying to use uh, a company that they thought was reputable for, did he move and got and got taken. Why in the world wouldn't you help them?
Speaker 4no, go ahead, go ahead. I hear what you're saying. The reason why I say it's the same thing, I know. Uh, todd also says I'm trying to bleed five stories together, so we'll just stay on one. If I say I'm going to invest my money in Nikola, because at the time, back in 2020, nikola was supposed to take over the trucking electric vehicle company is supposed to be the next biggest thing, and I invested $3,000 trying to come up because I thought it was a good decision. It bellied up, it went bankrupt. I lost all $3,000 and I go to them and be like I was trying to make a good decision and it failed. Can I get my $3,000 back? Nah, p.
Speaker 4What is the difference between doing that and going out on your own. Now, you did research. You tried to go through a reputable marketing company. I tried to go through a reputable company well, a company that would have been reputable as Nikola and went through all this research trying to find the best thing for me and my family, and I lost. And now I'm asking for money. My thing is what is the difference?
Speaker 2yo. So and you know this better than I do, pete, right, what's up? The difference is whenever you invest, nothing is guaranteed in an investment, right? Nothing is guaranteed in an investment. When you invest, you is guaranteed in an investment. When you invest, you invest with the understanding that you can lose everything.
Speaker 2Now, if I'm going to a company because I need to get my stuff moved, I'm expecting them to perform a service, right, I'm paying for a service. So I mean, that's the critical difference, bro. If you're doing things that are outside of well, if you're investing and just using your money to do X, y or Z, then that's you using your money with the assumption that there's going to be some risk in there. But if you're talking about paying for a service, then you expect to get that service, bro, and I think that's what she did. You're making an assumption that she was trying to come up and save a dollar Most people do on a diddy move, right? But she's paying for a service and the service failed her. So she's going to try to get some help.
Speaker 2And if asking is free which is, I'm telling you, that's for me. If there's an organization, that's which is. I'm telling you, that's, that's for me from if. If there's an organization that's out there, I'm going to ask they have a leadership panel. They have the responsibility to say does this person qualify or not? So I'm going to ask, and if they say no, then the answer is no, right, but I, you know, I'm, I'm not, i'm'm not, I'm not ticked off that the one person, the one person said, nah, I don't support this. Yo, everybody has an opinion and it's all based on their value systems and and things along that line, right? So there's a lot of things that influence why someone would or would not support something like this, right, but the the good thing about it is it's not just one person making the decision on those councils, right? So, yeah, that's it. I hear you. I disagree with you P. I disagree with you, p I disagree with you, bro.
Speaker 4I hear you big dog. I just if I was on that council. I just don't see how there is a difference. And I'm just saying it's like if I will say yes to now, I get what you're saying. They pay for a service, right? It's just like if you rent a car, you're renting a car for a service. If you decline the insurance coverage and you get into an accident, then you are liable for that Exactly.
Speaker 1This is the same thing.
Speaker 4So exact same thing, like when you buy a new car and they ask you if you want gap insurance, right, and you decline gap insurance and then you get in a wreck, whether it's your fault or not, and the car is not worth the value of the car, that you're out Ten thousand dollars or whatever, because the car is upside down Ten thousand dollars. You didn't get gap coverage. Don't start going to people and be like, oh my God, I didn't get gap coverage, I need $10,000. I need some help. Now to your point asking is free, ask away. I get that. My thing is.
Speaker 2Go fund me. Yo I'm in Facebook, Go fund me.
Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, yeah, so asking is free. Go ahead and ask away. I'm not upset at the person for asking. I think I'm more upset. They put themselves in this situation and then it's like, oh my goodness.
Speaker 2Well, you can't be upset about that P. So you guys, I don't want to rehash everything that you guys already said, right, sir.
Speaker 3Because he's sounding like Tyler Perry right now. Me, just listen to me.
Speaker 4Okay.
Speaker 3You're sounding like Tyler Perry right now. Rest her soul. When he got up at Andrew Stone's funeral and talked about making sure she get her coins, but then he didn't want to pay Monique her coins, like like saying it's like tomato, tomato. At the end of the day, the member was in need, like brought up good, a good option like the GoFundMe, yes, and Todd even brought it up about the mentorship piece. That was probably missing. This is the wholesomeness that the council and again I don't know where it is, but the council again could have thought about these same rationales as well and provided it back to the member. But again, they came to you for a specific need. Whether or not you could supply that need, you were still in a position to supply additional options for this member resource. Yeah.
Speaker 2Hey, jp, we're just dealing with Scrooge McDuck over here, so we're just going to have to move on. Yeah, yeah, he's ridiculous.
Speaker 3Love you, but what you had riding around in a fishbowl, what that tent at. You know it's about to be hot.
Speaker 2Hey, listen, so check it out. Right, I ain't even trying to hijack, but for real, yo, I just built a brand new crib. I'm sitting out in front of my crib right now. I was yeah, I had a whole bunch of boxes in the back Initially. I just went over there and dropped everything off, so I just got my blessing. Now I'm driving about 30 minutes from where I'm at right now back to the crib that I'm renting. So, yeah, I'm just. I had to stop and get my audio situation straight so I could spend a little bit of time with my peoples, because I miss y'all.
Speaker 4I appreciate it. Man Love Congratulations too. That's huge Congratulations. Thank you, bro. I appreciate it. Appreciate it, man Love Congratulations too. That's huge Congratulations.
Speaker 1Thank you, bro, appreciate it, appreciate it, that's huge. Hey, Samel, before you go, man, can you chime in on the Master Sergeant promotion? Thoughts on Master Sergeant. The two questions we posed were one. No, I remember I got them right.
Speaker 2Okay, go ahead then. So I'm going to dive into the second question first, right, top three is, when I say top three, when the Air Force talks about the tiers, right, we're talking about a structure within a functional component of Air Force. The top three are the top three ranks and they group us together for a reason because the level of responsibility we're all senior non-commissioned officers. That's different than a professional organization, right, you can have a professional organization for anything you know. So you got a chief's group and the chief's group does their business. Then you've got the top three and I understand, right, that it's synonymous with being a senior NCO and having these tiers where all of you are operating at a specific level for the United States Air Force, and you're all in this top three. You're in this tier where it's just senior NCOs. So to me I think they're apples and oranges. Can the cheese group support the top three? Absolutely, does it. And are we able to go to those meetings? Absolutely, and I highly encourage us to go to those meetings. But I just think that when you're talking about professional organizations and being a top three and then the org structure that we have in the United States Air Force being top three. I just think that the name is synonymous, but the functionality of them are different. And again, this is just wham right, the world according to me and I'm two years retired, bro, so I'm a dinosaur and my opinion don't matter. But what I'm saying is I just looked at them a little bit different. You know, you got the CGOs right, you got FGOs. Don't matter, but what I'm saying is I just looked at them a little bit different. You know, you got. You know you got the CGOs right, you got um, fgos don't don't have one, I don't think they have one, but um, I just think that it's just. You know, it's just a little different. You know, um.
Speaker 2But I will say, for the transition from from tech sergeant to master sergeant, from tech sergeant to master sergeant, I mean I think it's a huge deal, right, you go from being the supervisor to someone who can also be a supervisor. But when you flip that thing over, or at least on the old school, right, again, I'm a dinosaur. We don't do EPRs, no more. But you would be the additional raider, right. So you have a level of responsibility that was different than just at the supervisory level. So that's just one example of why I think the transition from tech sergeant to being a senior NCO is just so significant.
Speaker 2And one of the things. That was one of my leadership philosophies and it's the last thing I'll say and then I'll just, you know, log off and just listen. I always operated at a level and I encouraged all of my, my subordinates and the people I work for and with, to try to operate at that next level of leadership. So when you make that transition, it's not that great Right. It's not that great right. So when I had some kick-ass tech sergeants, I would help them understand what it was like to operate at a senior NCO level and I would give them responsibilities to operate at that level. So when they made the transition, now that Air Force is just paying you for it, but you understand what you're responsible for, whether it's an EPR or whether it's being an advocate inside the commander's office for discipline or whatever the case may be right.
Speaker 1So those are, those are my thoughts on that DP well said yeah, the only thing I would throw a quick bow on. That one is is is that, yeah, I like the way you kind of like it's. Chiefs are part of the top three, but there is still a. There is a difference between the three ranks in the top three. That doesn't mean that Chiefs are trying to say or convey that we're better than the other two. We operate at a different level and so which is the reason why we have a chiefs group there's no senior master or master sergeant group. So it is incumbent upon chiefs to go and mentor and develop and go to the top three and support them, whether it be through being in the presence and listening or providing some monetary support in some direction. But yeah, I think sometimes folks get this idea, when chiefs are not there, that we think we're better than the mass sergeants, the mass sergeants. That's not necessarily the case. So good point, appreciate that.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, 100%, bro. And the last thing I'll say and I know you wanted to put a bow on it, bro, but I just want to add one piece when we think about these these like the top three right, where they can really get some better involvement is you got to target chiefs. Don't just say, hey, chief, are you coming? Right, you look at what this chief is, their expertise and what they can bring. You know, the most people I've ever seen at a top three meeting is when the individual who sat on the records panel came back from AFPC and was like, hey, I got some nuggets for when it's time to get promoted, right. And then next thing, you know everybody is there, right, everybody's there. Well, that same rule applies when you're talking about.
Speaker 2You know finance, you know working with human capital and people and understanding different things. So you tap in to a particular chief and say, hey, chief, we want to come and give you this timeframe, this 15, 20 minutes. Can you do X, y and Z for us so you'll have chief and make them stick around so that they can give their chief perspective on certain things that may come up. So there's ways to get chief involvement. But really, do you want the chiefs you know what I'm saying and they're kind of saying, hey, you know, and you got an idea and the chief's always speaking up and now you feel like, man, man, the chief always got to you know, give them perspective, and you know, now you can feel like you're obligated to go with the chief's way to, you know, way of business. So you know, sometimes you just got to be careful. What you ask for, right, all right, all right, i'ma log off and just listen, man, I love y'all.
Speaker 2Man, appreciate you brother, man always, always come on invite hey, shout out to my girl though that's my girl, jp all right, always yo.
Speaker 4That's how. That's how the corner's done. Y'all you come on, say your piece. You get off. That's what you do. You don't stay around all day on the show. That's how you do it. I can't believe it. What you mean? Yes, that's how you do it.
Speaker 3I was giving it props you about to transition over here to the civilian side, sir and baby.
Speaker 1Jerry ROTC at that. That's right.
Speaker 3I know, right, I think I'm like you know, but, baby, I need to really mentally prepare you for what you're about to enter.
Speaker 4I appreciate that, I think.
Speaker 3You're going to need it.
Speaker 4I think I'll be good, because I don't know, I don't.
Speaker 3Like at least I try to find a way. Like, especially when it comes to dudes and their hair. I can see you like hey, you need a haircut. At least I be like, hey, I don't know who winning the war between your neck and your Back hair like see, that's a lot different, that's a lot different. That's how I Correct standards. I can see you was like, yeah, you need a haircut, don't come back until you get one no, no, no, that's not me at all.
Speaker 4I'll just be like hey, bro, who your barber? He, he sick, he got covid, or what's going on with him. He off, he hard to get, he ought to get a hold of. You want me to give you a second option wow, like they cuss you out real hard.
Speaker 3So I just need you to be prepared. So, like you know, you ain't like their grandma over there clutching your pearls.
Speaker 4Right.
Speaker 3From their students.
Speaker 4Yeah, philly, you got anything else.
Speaker 1Yeah, I got one more. One more, just one more, let's talk about decorations.
Speaker 4Is that like a mic drop moment, or are you going to be more specific?
Speaker 1Well, if you recall, earlier this week we had an interesting conversation about two situations where someone received a decoration or did not receive a decoration and you might I remind you, you said this would be a great topic for the show.
Speaker 3yes, I'm sorry, here you are what I'll be doing when I be like this one was.
Speaker 1I'll be trying to talk him off the ledge, you know so I don't.
Speaker 4I had a young kid who came at me on Amazon. Chill man, really. I'm sorry Amazon, that's crazy.
Speaker 3Alicia, look, we got stores for that. Because I told Pete, I remember the first time a girl had called me the B word and I was like yo, I didn't know. You introduced me to your mom and then like yeah, let's just say the principal was like what did you say? Because the mom is coming up here on you? Let's just say the principal is like what did you say? Because the mom is coming up here on you, baby, I'm from the country, like I would give you a free toothpaste, that's right.
Speaker 3Add a biscuit, that's right like two peas, like I said. He was like what I said, I'm gonna knock them, uh teeth out.
Speaker 4She come up here so right, um, I mean, uh, philly, do you want to set the stage, or all?
Speaker 1right, quickly, all right, so quickly. So decorations, can we? I think we all can agree. In the afi there is nothing that said you have to do one specific or multiple specific things to get a decoration. Whether it be from achievement medal to heck, defense, support, defense, superior service medal, doesn't matter, right? It just says each medal has a certain criteria. As far as achievement, there's nothing in AFI that says you have to be a specific rank to get a medal. So, in other words, could an airman apply for Legion of Merit? Yes, they could, right? Do you see airmen get Legion of Merit? I've never seen one, but you could apply right. Do you see airmen get Legion of Merit? I've never seen one, but you could apply right.
Speaker 1So let's say you have an individual who is a field grade officer, who went to the base and gave blood. Five pints of blood, chill man, we're going to be done. I'm sorry, that's my buddy here, rocky. Anyway, he gets five pints of blood. And then the folks at the blood bank tell them hey, come here, come here. Oh, my Lord, I'm sorry. He gets five pints of blood, he's getting restless. And the folks at the blood bank say hey, did you know? Because you gave up so much blood you could get a volunteer service medal. Could get a volunteer service medal. And so said major puts in for a volunteer service medal. And so the commander asks and says, hey, what do you think about this? I'm sorry, anyway, what's y'all thoughts on that? I'm going to go grab him real quick.
Speaker 4Yes, I'll go first.
Speaker 3Yes, sir.
Speaker 4I don't care. At the end of the day, I think it to me, decorations have been so watered down on not what the accomplishment is, it's the person and the relationship of the person getting it and the person uh giving it. I think decorations are so watered down and you see some people with five decorations before they make A1C and some people with five decorations before they retire, and to me I think it's just so watered down because in the AFI the only thing I remember is saying it's sustained superior performance, and then you can have your one-off for your uh individual accomplishment once. So I think they're just so watered down.
Speaker 4I've seen people get decorations for being a superior performer in an ig inspection. I've seen people get them for uei inspections. I see people save people's lives and don't get nothing at all. Um, I see people who do three years and walk away with one medal. I've seen people to go three years and walk away with four medals. So I think it's all, just who is giving it, who is getting it, and that's all that matters. The stuff that's in there you can write on there for what's your thoughts?
Speaker 3um, I don't know. I always believe that decorations hey jason, I always believe that decorations were written or submitted by supervisors. So, again, a lot of people don't like to take the time out to read and, based off of you know setting, it's not even sending their people up. Um, he said he made tech with zero dick. Wow, but I just again, it goes to being purpose driven. Um, you have some people who are. They come in, they're a servant leader and they know what it takes to make sure their people are recognized. I just thought you were going to say, like you were about to retire and you were asking for a legion of merit but no, no, no no see, I was a feel great officer no, I'm not a big metal person at all.
Speaker 4I mean, most of it is a lot of scar tissue, but a lot, lot of it is just like I don't get the point of it If you don't give me one. If you give me one, it doesn't shape or constitute my lack of or more performance that I put in. Just because you get a medal doesn't mean you're better than anybody else that didn't get a medal.
Speaker 3But you got to think about the, the, the legacy that decorations created legacy was tied to promotions heavily and I think you know it was a matter of people. Took it as hey, this is my opportunity to take care of you and like I'll never forget the one that actually made the air force times news. Remember when so many people were bent out of shape, when the airman from finance here got like a brown star.
Speaker 3Yeah, okay, but again, that person's leadership or supervisor took the time out to acknowledge it. But going back to like the actual criteria, because you gave five pints of blood, that's why you got a medal? I don't think so and I don't think um, I just don't believe by you donating blood you should get a medal, because I mean it does save people's lives it does. But so okay, just we grown people. Yeah, so you give a man a decoration for going to the sperm bank because he want to contribute to society? Yeah, really.
Speaker 4Yeah, ok, to me it's the same thing. I think they're both outrageous.
Speaker 3It's just somebody donating plasma. You're going to give money a decoration for that.
Speaker 4I think they're the same thing. It's all the same thing.
Speaker 3It's all the same thing and I think it's like OK, your your personal choices for professional decisions. I think that's why I'm going to separate my left and right parameters. So, like me, that is a personal decision that I have made to give blood. It is not anything written in the AFI said that I have to give blood. I think that is based off of your personal values and beliefs. Now, just because you did that does not warrant you to get a decoration, and that's how I systematically look at it in my brain.
Speaker 4So would you be OK with him putting in for a volunteer service medal.
Speaker 3Absolutely, because you volunteer your time. But again, that was your personal.
Speaker 4It's tied to your personal values you said pushing a volunteer medal is hard. Uh, I've done two and it was hard. I mean, once again, I think it's just all about who's reading it and who's accepting it. I know those go to a different level, but uh, I don't know. Look, clap peters, retired she man, I can't win. If I'm too lenient, y'all get on me. If I'm too strict, y'all get on me. I can't win. Who?
Speaker 3thought that the person deserved a medal for giving blood I don't think they deserve it.
Speaker 4But then again I see a bunch of medals that people don't deserve. So back to sam Samel's point. I'm not mad at him for asking.
Speaker 1So here's the thing. So when this FGO gave the blood, the folks at the bank have heard other folks who did something similar get a volunteer service medal. So they said, hey, did you know you can get a volunteer service medal for that? I forgot who made the comment about it. It was hard pushing it, Was it Alicia? I think the volunteer service medals I've ever seen get approved had multiple volunteer achievements. I agree with that.
Speaker 1Hours and there's no timeline for the volunteer service medal. It can encompass two years, three years, four years, five years. So I'm a fan of giving a volunteer service medal for multiple things or something. If it was for one act, it had to be something that was so impactful, and even then I would be hesitant to do that impactful, and even then I would be hesitant to do that. Got it. Five pints of blood is a lot of blood. Got it. It saves people lives. But that was a choice that this individual made. It's not like he flew from state to state, from across the country or across the world to give five pints of blood. He went down the street to the other base to give blood. And what message does that send to other people? Oh, did you hear so-and-so? Got a volunteer service medal for giving blood, bro? All we got to do is give five pints of blood. That's not the intent. You're right.
Speaker 4You're right.
Speaker 3I say going back to like when I was PME. I remember working for one person and we had a group of instructors, like at the time that they were getting ready to PCS, like they all wrote their packages for the volunteer service medal. But then we had one commander at that time. He was like well, it's a requirement that you volunteer with your classes. Anyway, your class is supposed to do it. So he was like I'm not, like he will go through and like I'm not, you're not getting credit for that class. It was your volunteer service, outside of what your class did. So again, it's based off of the person that's approving these things. What do they view or interpret worthy for that award?
Speaker 4I agree, those charges that have the agency recognize him. They are the ones that are. Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3That's exciting too.
Speaker 4I agree with that. Ccs can have their own standards. Ccs can have their own standards.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, yeah. Second scenario Individual is in an Uber and notices a car off the side of the road. They stop the Uber, they get out. They run to the car. Notice there was a car in accident. They open the door, they pull the individual out that's the driver, lays them on the ground and keeps them stable, calls the medics or the police. They arrive, they take the individual and they go to the medics or the police. They arrive, they take the individual and they go to the hospital. So this individual, the person who got the Uber military member, goes to her command or his or her command and says you know, they get put in for a commendation medal for their actions, and their actions was. They were in an Uber, they stopped, got out, pulled the individual out of the car, sat there with them until the medics arrived and took them. Do you think this deserves a commendation medal? Thoughts no, okay tell us why?
Speaker 4Because I just think you just did a good job. You just did, you were a good American. What up Chief?
Speaker 3That's not what Wooten said. That's not what Wooten said.
Speaker 4Okay achievement probably not a calm achievement a good American just being a good human okay.
Speaker 3I mean good job, thanks for being a good person so let me ask you this Just say that this person didn't go back and tell their command, but they were highlighted on TV.
Speaker 1I would still do. No, I don't. So I respectfully disagree with my brother. It's not an airman's medal to me, An airman's medal. Same scenario Stops to Uber Cars on fire or look like it's about to be on fire. They run over there, pull the individual out. He or she is unresponsive. They perform CPR. Medics arrive, they take the individual, medics tell the command. If it wasn't for this individual, this person would have probably died. That's an airman's medal. This is an achievement medal, in my opinion.
Speaker 4I said yes, they deserve it.
Speaker 3I feel like Tyree Technical Sergeant Tyree Gibson to Chief Master Sergeant.
Speaker 4We do have to get away with only giving decorations for PCS, pcas and mentors. Airman Metal Hail Nah. Letter of Appreciation.
Speaker 1That's a little. I don't know. I would say it's Sheepman Metal, Like here's Quickly, Like Eddie Grant, this dude, while he was deployed in Afghanistan, was walking the perimeter with his friend, saw a building on fire. It was behind a locked fence. They somehow got the fence open, Not the entrance to the fence, a random spot of the fence. They got it open. He low crawled through the fence, pulled the guy out and I believe this dude was like has some second degree burns, pulled him out at his own, you know himself in his own being in danger, and peril pulled the guy out. This guy got the airman's medal Legit.
Speaker 4Sure, like I said, I think it's just all about who the person is that's being written on and who wants to push it in the and the cc in charge of it. How much it moves them. I don't think there's, I I don't. I just don't agree with the accommodation medal for that uber thing. Like I said, maybe achievement. And just to your point, if they didn't tell command and they ended up on TV, hey, same thing. Tv highlighted you. Thanks for being a good human.
Speaker 1I wouldn't say being that's a little bit crass. I wouldn't say it was just being a good human. What do you mean? There's a lot of people would have not stopped. They would have kept going.
Speaker 4I understand that and I'm not disagreeing. I'm not calling them a bad human.
Speaker 1I'm just saying just the way you said it, just being a good human. That's a little crass.
Speaker 4So it's all about the delivery. It's not about what I say, it's about how I say it.
Speaker 1It's always that way.
Speaker 4Don't just be an honest, it's just always.
Speaker 1Say that the person made a bad decision and you roll the dice it's just a delivery.
Speaker 3Oh my gosh, you got to think about it. Times have changed so so much. Like I'll never forget and Passion, I love you when I tell this story. But being at Columbus, mississippi, I'll never forget. This was like 2003. Me and my roommate at the time had picked up this lady, didn't know this lady was a prostitute, but this lady had took us to the dope house. But again back in the day, like if I saw somebody walking, of course I was gonna pick them up. But now, like with everything going on, like I would not pick anybody up and put them in my car. But I do go back to that because my best friend, she makes fun of me passionately, like you remember we picked that woman up and she took us to the hood in columbus and we was at the drug house. I was like yo I, after that incident I didn't pick up anybody, I was like, where is this lady taking us?
Speaker 3she said that she needed a ride and we was going that way and yeah, homegirl hit us to the crack house right.
Speaker 4I just think it's, uh, it's just interesting because I just think medals are so watered down. It's all about the person who. It's really about your character and your credibility in the unit, for how much pushback you might get for a decoration. That's just my opinion. Just my opinion. I don't know I think it's subjective. No, very yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3To what McCoy was saying it's the commander's prerogative. But also I do enjoy the commanders that look at it like hey, because I never agree with oh, you've got to be a master sergeant to get an MSM or you know what, is it tech or staff sergeant to get accommodation medal. I just believe off of the performance, the criteria, and does it support the information in that criteria?
Speaker 4I agree with that. But we we done messed it up so bad that when you see a staff sergeant get an msm, it's like, oh my god, they must have saved the world. Or you get a staff, a tech sergeant, who got an msm, they're like, oh, it must have been phenomenal but you got to think about it especially we've evolved so much.
Speaker 3and then with the changes in the promotion system, I I never forget, like it was tech sergeant and again this was 2003, 2004,. But it was tech sergeant Gregory Jones in the comms sergeant. But he was amazing at his job and that's when I first saw it like a tech sergeant get an MSM. But again he was retiring after 20 some years in the military, after 20 some years in the military. So that's why I think for me, as I grew in the military, I kind of was like well, I've seen it done before. You don't always have to tie back to a particular rank.
Speaker 4Everyone thinks they deserve one, and senior CEOs think that they get in trouble if they don't deserve a debt.
Speaker 1That's another problem we need to fix. Just because you don't get a debt doesn't mean that you got in trouble. That just means you didn't earn one. And I wanted to piggyback on what Jess said about retirement and he asked for a medal at the next level because they assume, because they're retiring, they should get one. Good case in point there were a lot of chiefs that asked for legions of merit and they put down a commander would say, well, they're retiring.
Speaker 1You don't get the medal because you're retiring. You get it for what you've done at the job that you're currently in, at the job that you're currently in. And every level has a certain expectation of the type of achievement and performance. You can't do MSM level performance and expect a Legion of Merit. You can't do Legion of Merit performance and expect a Defense Superior Service Medal. There's different levels to it and if you don't achieve it then you don't get it. But that doesn't mean it's a slap in the face for you getting the MSM and you retiring after 25 years. You got to still do the work to earn the medal.
Speaker 4Yeah, cheap W-2. I'm going to need to put myself in for a Legion of Merit, so I'll put my package in for the LOM.
Speaker 1What was Devon trying to say? You hater, devon has been talking to me like a techno wizard all day.
Speaker 3Tell him to come online.
Speaker 1I know, man. You know what Devon man, that dude is a straight savage man. He'll stay some under the cover of darkness, man. I put a picture of my pup on Facebook, man. He said something sideways. Man, you ain't getting no coin partner.
Speaker 4How about that? Over your stupid dog.
Speaker 1First of all, he ain't stupid, not like your dog.
Speaker 4I bet dog. Pong I bet dog, I bet dog, is he?
Speaker 3down there in Texas with you now or no? Huh, isn't Devon over there in Texas with you now, or no?
Speaker 1No, who knows who the hell that dude is. Yeah, send that dude a link so we can get Devon or Davin on whatever he want to call him.
Speaker 4Oh, thanks, chief, I'll go ahead and put in.
Speaker 6If.
Speaker 4I put in and you don't approve it, I'll be pissed, especially after this show.
Speaker 1Good luck with that. Fuck this.
Speaker 3Good luck after this show after this show Baby we about to frame. Don't do it, pete, because I can't wait.
Speaker 1You know what your better going to be LOA letter of appreciation.
Speaker 2Dang.
Speaker 1They're going to pin the certificate on your service dress uniform. That's what they're going to do.
Speaker 4Not in front of the fam. That's crazy. Just do it for my family. Just make sure my family knows Attention to orders. This, do it for my family, just make sure my family attention to orders.
Speaker 1This is a matter of appreciation. It was in a job.
Speaker 4That's a don't forget who's seeing your retirement ceremony. Because you got jokes, now I got attention to orders from massive surgery.
Speaker 3Y'all mean I can't stand. Y'all ass people.
Speaker 1For your recent comments about a tech sergeant I mean not being worthy of getting an Operation War Hard Award. Your comments were that was her dumb fault for making a bad decision.
Speaker 4I didn't say that. I didn't say that.
Speaker 1Your performance reflected greatly upon the Air Force.
Speaker 4So, hey, chief, I'm going to go ahead and put in and then the E-Triple-S. I'll just go ahead and prove it for your level, since you already said we're good, we got it all here now.
Speaker 1Hey, chief, go ahead and put down there in big capital letters denied. Right now Just put denied. She already said.
Speaker 4I'm good, go ahead and put it in. I'll go ahead and E-triple-S past your level. The shirt already approves it. I know the shirt approves it, so we good there. So I'll just throw it straight to the commander we good.
Speaker 1I tell people all the time sometimes you got to make that cut at the lowest level. Don't make the command. She put down there in all caps deny right now, Sure. It already says but did not downgrade the letter of appreciation.
Speaker 3Oh, I'm not sure of problems and even, like with some of the highest, with a CM master sergeant. I know it went above me and went to the group Baby, I don't care, I'm not changing my mind, oh.
Speaker 1Oh hell, oh hell, oh hell.
Speaker 6Oh man.
Speaker 4Forget that.
Speaker 1Yo would you say that sideways stuff about my pup man. What'd you say about my pup man, my man?
Speaker 6got a doodle.
Speaker 1What's wrong with that man? What's wrong with that?
Speaker 6You about to retire, You're going to need some protection, man. What's wrong with that? You about to retire. You're going to need some protection, man.
Speaker 1My man got a poodle no this is for my mental problems, man. He helps me out. He's going to be a therapy dog, oh man.
Speaker 6Where he go. Dog ain't going to do nothing for you, man.
Speaker 3Don't be my work, because I got a toy po poodle and he showed my service animal baby that is great for you.
Speaker 6Uh, jess.
Speaker 1However, dc is a grown man you know what I was gonna say? Something real mean. I'm just gonna say god bless you cause it's the Lord's day.
Speaker 6I'ma see, mean, I'm just going to say God bless you, I'm going to see you bro?
Speaker 4Why do you keep saying that I'm going to see you bro?
Speaker 1His name is Rocky man. It's Rocky man.
Speaker 4Why are you disrespecting your dog's name like that?
Speaker 6Everybody in the Facebook post was talking about how cute he was. He must not be going back to Philly. He must not be going back to Philly. He wasn't around with a dude Thank you for going to Texas.
Speaker 1God bless you. Okay, great, get the hell off the show, get out of here, cut him off.
Speaker 6What the hell you got.
Speaker 1You know what. What the hell you want to talk about? Getting on here? What the hell you want to talk about? Y'all asked me to come on here. Well, get off now. You have what you say. Get off now.
Speaker 6I was minding my business. That's crazy.
Speaker 1What the hell you got to talk about.
Speaker 6No. So with the medals, I mean, like I said, we do have to get away from just giving medals just for certain situations. I understand, pete, you think it's just an act of good service, but that's the whole purpose it's to encourage people to do those type of things, being a great human being. There have been situations where so me, I have a personal situation where I find stuff like that extraordinary.
Speaker 6I had a situation with my niece where she passed away because I really felt like people, no one stood up to help her. It was a situation where there was a fight and then she was stabbed and she was actually helping people and ended up being her death resulted from her actually helping someone. So I actually are. I am in tune with that whole situation because she was a person that naturally just helped people and unfortunately it came with a severe consequence. So, with that being said, I'm very in tune with people who go out of their way to help someone, because not everyone's going to do it. Some people would have just drove past in that Uber and just watched them and that person could have succumbed to their injuries an hour or two later because no one helped them, but that person went out their way.
Speaker 3It's probably going to have been an Uber.
Speaker 6Like I said, uber probably $100. People are like I'm just thinking of Rush Hour. When he got in the car, like $100? I slept, yeah, yeah, yeah. I slept, yeah, yeah, yeah, but yeah so.
Speaker 4I think stuff like that. I'm not mad at you, I agree with that. I understand how you feel about it, I just think it.
Speaker 6Not a calm, though Not a calm, maybe a team in the middle.
Speaker 4Okay, so that's where I'm at.
Speaker 6Okay, we're on the same picture, we're on the same page, but I also feel like people overly fluctuate with the. I'm just trying to help my members where they come out with some type of overzealous thing, to where a person is just doing something A1C be like oh yeah, I should have got an MSM. You be like all right, buddy, you didn't save the world, you came and did some contracts or something. But yeah, it goes up and down to where some sometimes people, don't deserve medals.
Speaker 6Just because you didn't get in trouble doesn't mean that you deserve a medal. And also, just because you did something where it was the purpose of the medal is an extraordinary act right in itself. So some people just be like oh yeah, he was extraordinary, well, that was the purpose of the medal. It doesn't mean that the person has to get something one tier or two tiers above what they normally would would go for. Um, I do believe there are going rates uh for uh, certain medals in particular. But yeah, that's just well. Like I say, I don't think just because you didn't get in trouble, you deserve one.
Speaker 3And I also don't think just because, uh, you did what you were supposed to do is it should be something overly extraordinary I think a lot of people out, though, because I'm on the outside now, so like they not give out good conduct medals anymore, like when you don't get in trouble, you get this medal after four years or whatever I'll talk about medals, in particular for points.
Speaker 6Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3So just hear me out because I'm on the outside. You have so much going on out here in the civilian world that I look at it like with the criteria. So my homeboy is a recruiter. The Air Force has already met their quota and they no longer are passing out waivers or anything. So if you're able to get in any branch right now, it is truly a blessing. So I look at it like because it is a volunteer service.
Speaker 3I'm not saying that people are writing medals to help people get promoted. It's a matter of retention and recruitment at this doctor, because you took an oath, you did what most people will not do. Took an oath, you did what most people will not do, and that is to serve in whatever capacity it is. Now there's levels to that Again, because you got so many people in leadership positions that have different experience levels. What you may think is extraordinary or what you may think is ordinary, somebody else may think is extraordinary.
Speaker 3So where do y'all come together to determine what that looks like? And I'm with you Like I. My cousin was killed in front of my face in Birmingham before I went to Korea and still had to go to Korea. But what I am saying is when we are placed in positions we do have to make sure that we're not allowing like our personal values or our overshadow, like professional decisions that impact other people, overshadow like professional decisions that impact other people. So that's what I'm saying. Where do y'all draw the line on what is acceptable according to the criteria that is published?
Speaker 6So I always go with the thing. That's why I said I'm a I'm a middle, a middle thinker. That's why, when it comes to that whole first start, as in question, I'm I'm definitely a person where I will play devil's advocate on it. That's why I see both perspectives, but I do think perspective is one of those things. So I'll give you an example when people look at kind of like FDRs and stratifications and things like that, when we're looking at people, this person may be a small base, this person may be at a large base. The person at the small base could 100% be a more functioning person than a person at a large base. But they just had a large base, so they had that opportunity. You know, they just had that opportunity. So I am a holistic thinker. So if someone was to come in with a different perspective, but I just I don't like people just writing it off so like he's just like, oh yeah, they just did what they were. You know they were just being a good person.
Speaker 6Sometimes, you know, being a good person is something that has certain layers to certain things. Like, being a good person is, you know, helping people to trash. Yeah, however, being a good person stopping on the side of the road, where it may be dark or where you don't even know if that person is the person on the other side of that door is a good person. That isn't. That's just self-harming way in itself. So I'm 100 keen on that part where it's like my own reflections, my own reflections say don't ride it off, but I I will still have questions with it.
Speaker 6Like with that situation, I would oh, I need some information from the doctor. I need some information from the responding people, not just that person's word like hey, I did this. Oh yeah, great, here's the metal. No, I need information, more tangible information, from the entity in which you helped to identify whether you are deserving for this. Which is exactly how I felt with the first sergeant situation, where I understand that she didn't necessarily make a horrible decision or a malicious decision. But I do want some other information. Did she get you know her DLA? Did she get her weighted know her DLA? Did she get her weighted tickets so that she could get paid back? Because I need all of that information to make that decision versus just reacting off the emotion of the situation.
Speaker 4Right? No, I appreciate all that, I agree with all that yeah, but I think decorations are very watered down, I cut him off, yeah.
Speaker 6I think decorations are very watered down DC and the D is for doodle.
Speaker 1Hey, cut him off now, bro. Cut him off now. Cut him off. You know what God?
Speaker 3bless you, bro, we'll let you go Appreciate you.
Speaker 4Bye, doodle cheat, do'll let you go.
Speaker 1Appreciate you. Let him go Bye. Get the hell on Bye. Peace out, dirt bag. Peace out. Be out Dirt bag. Oh man, not. The D is for doodle Tight shirt on Hammer strength. Get the hell out of here, man, roll you down the street. When I see you, mac, I'm going to see you, partner, I'm going to see you. I'm going to see you, partner, I'm going to get you partner.
Speaker 1That's fine, that's fine, that's fine. What the hell are you talking about? Did you look at your Facebook profile picture lately? What you laughing so hard about? I?
Speaker 4ain't looked at it forever.
Speaker 1You should look at it. It looks kind of corny.
Speaker 4His picture looks like it probably the same what it was.
Speaker 1Exactly he like, with his dog in the background. That's low, that's right. Doodle, doodle, doodle.
Speaker 4Hey Dooley Allen Dooley Chief.
Speaker 1When I see you, I'm going to drop kick you, bro. I'm going to drop, kick you. I'm going to drop kick you, bro. Corporate Clutch coming your way, oh man.
Speaker 4Y'all ready to call it a show? Yeah, let's do it All right Before we go. Before we go, we have a little promotion video. It's about four and a half minutes. I we have a little promotion video. It's about four and a half minutes. I think we'll give it exclusively To the people on here now. So Jeff's Philly, if y'all can stay on for a little bit With those promotion video. If y'all did not know, unpopular Celebrities has been Awarded two great accomplishments Through Millionaire Podcast or Million Podcast. So that comes at the end. So, as they say on all great videos, wait to the end to see. But it's a tribute to everybody being on here, everybody being a part of the family. So wait to the end. Here y'all go. Little turn back in memory lane. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 5Don't say nothing. Celebrity, you know, you make sure you know who you are in general.
Speaker 4Yeah, and that's why we got this. I hope it, you know, gave you guys some courage, more than anything.
Speaker 6Inspiration.
Speaker 4We already have somebody at the door. I know who it is. I hope you're ready.
Speaker 5Right, right, right. So how is it going for you so far, Brown? I mean I know you're a couple of days in, but just dynamics wise, is it different? Is it the same what you got? I think I'm going to America to join the Air Force. Join the Air Force and get up. Wow, and that was 22 years ago.
Speaker 3I think I was like maybe 15 or 20. I mean, I knew I wasn't going to go be on the flight line, you know, and it was before I knew I wasn't going to go be on the flight line.
Speaker 5you know, I had kind of put an end in that path for myself. So this was a way to get back on track.
Speaker 3What about you, man With?
Speaker 4somebody else's input, just let me be more effective, especially other people. What about you.
Speaker 5Chief Roger, this man introduced himself. Man, what you got over there, sir Yo, what's good man? Hey, this man to introduce himself. Man, what you got over there, sir Yo, what's good man, hey. So I'm Henry Edwards. Appreciate y'all for having me on today. Man, what's up? Every time I say, man, I'm getting rid of the Facebook for a little bit, I'm like, nah, I can't, because I see how everybody's moving. Man, yeah, and it helped me drive a little bit better too. Man, just watching people.
Speaker 3I say that jokingly, but that's a serious thing. Right, Even airmen coming into today's military, you know like some of them have never failed.
Speaker 5But what made you think, hey, I want to go into this world of martial arts.
Speaker 4I was growing up in Vallejo when I was a kid. I'm from Virginia.
Speaker 6You know I'm on a different wave now, man. I'm on a different wave now, man. I'm on the way to recovery and I'm still recovering. Like you know, I used to complain about the 10,000 things I used to be able to do. Now I'm just happy about the 30,000.
Speaker 1Things as long as they still do their job and they do it at a high-performing level, and then, not only that, they don't poison the wealth for anybody else.
Speaker 3Hooked me up. She found out I was military. She gave it to me for $1,600. They're expensive, it's not bad.
Speaker 5Oh yeah, they really expensive. We got a Yorkie, we got a mini Yorkie over here.
Speaker 1I think my wife paid like $2,500 for him. Different things ahead of my personal life and now I try to be extremely deliberate about taking a break just because it's needed.
Speaker 5The second time on the show. I would always rather be anywhere with my brother, casey.
Speaker 2But shout out much love to Casey and to all y'all the divide between tiers, airman NCO and senior NCO and you have to understand the difference between them.
Speaker 4Yeah, but it looks bad.
Speaker 1I'm looking at Facebook now live. We look fine.
Speaker 4Facebook is fine, instagram is tragic, instagram is horrible.
Speaker 1You said you ain't know anything else besides crypto, besides Bitcoin Terrible.
Speaker 4And Dogecoin Terrible, that's actually going up, by the way. Thank you do, we lose jess oh there you go, there you go well done man Shout out to everybody here with Unpopular Celebrities.
Speaker 4Like I said, best military leadership podcast Rank number. I think it was 11 out of 100. And we're ranked number 16 out of 30 best Air Force podcasts. So big contributions to everybody here on the team. Of course, the members you see on the screen every day, and y'all as well, making us there fitness there. It's a good walk down memory lane. It's good to do that for y'all.
Speaker 3Yes, it was. It was good to look at the past with Big Mike and then I even paid attention to I was good to see Andy Gilbert and then Chad. Yeah, it was good to see Andy Gilbert and then Chad. Yeah, it was good times, good memories. Dc. For a moment I was like did he pledge Kappa? And I just didn't know about it when you had on the red and white and then I had to go to the world champion.
Speaker 1No, not Kappa. No, not against me. Kappa is crazy.
Speaker 4No not Kappa.
Speaker 1No, not against me, not Kappa, that's crazy. No, that was well done. Good video Well done. And to Jess's point, we couldn't do it without you guys. That listens to every show. We have folks that come on every time to support us and, more importantly, your participation, all of your comments.
Speaker 1I learn something new from you guys every day, and not only that. I think it's a great way to kind of like unwind, start your week. All the laughter, the tough conversations, it is great. Hey Devin, whatever your hell you're about to get I thought you was going by now, bro. Anyway, even more importantly, I love being out and about and I run into somebody that says that they listen to us, even some that I don't see in the comments. That just goes to show you there are folks that listen to us and they normally don't comment, they just like to listen or they listen to the podcast. Much appreciated there to you guys. We're going to just keep rolling. We're going to start evolving even more, get even better and our goal is to be number one, not only just in military, but just all together. I'm excited for the future and I'm glad we're going to bring you guys along with us, because without you guys we couldn't get there.
Speaker 4So kudos to y'all All right, it's a wrap. See y'all in a couple weeks, a week, whatever it is Watching the NBA finals coming up, indy and OKC I got OKC winning the chip, so hopefully Shea Gildridge can pull one out, but Indy looks tough, tough, tough, tough. Should be a good finals and then it'll be a dry spell in sports for a while.
Speaker 4And then we'll go to football where the Eagles should come with another Super Bowl ring. I'm lying, I'm lying. Eagles ain't going to win no Super Bowl next year. Eagles ain't going to win no Super Bowl. Are you kidding me? Eagles, falcons, fal. You kidding me? Eagles, falcons, falcons, really Falcons.
Speaker 3Falcons.
Show Wrap-up and Milestones
Speaker 4Negative. Well, I'll let y'all next time Appreciate y'all Peace.
