Photo By Staff Sgt. Daira Jackson | U.S. Air Force Capt. Tinashe Machona, public affairs officer, District of Columbia Air...... read more read more
WASHINGTON — Effective leaders are people who inspire others by example and foster the personal and professional development of those around them. U.S. Air Force Capt. Tinashe Machona, for the past decade, has accomplished that and more within the Air National Guard. He shares his thoughts on how adversity has molded him into a great leader.
When he first immigrated to the United States from Zimbabwe in 2001, his father passed away shortly after his arrival. “It was demoralizing having the leader of the family pass away,” said Machona, a public affairs officer with the District of Columbia Air National Guard, who is assigned to their Joint Force Headquarters unit.
Machona said he will never forget the values that his father instilled upon him to always ensure the protection of the family first and foremost. He described the similarities between how a family unit and a military unit often operate. Machona consistently checks on his Airmen, ensuring that everyone is taken care of under his charge.
The first few years after immigrating to the U.S. were challenging for Machona, but the principles he learned show through in his career.
“Those first couple of years we slept on the floor. Those were painful years, but they were years that reveal character,” said Machona “They were years that molded me into a better leader. That type of difficulty in life has a lot of underlying educational principles to it because it teaches you that life is not easy, but you can and should always make the best of it.”
“If I had to describe Capt. Machona as a leader, it would include the tangibles: intelligence, vision, tact, diplomacy, leadership, decisiveness and responsibility,” said Capt. Chelsi Johnson, chief of public affairs, 113th Wing. “However, of greater importance would be the list of intangibles that make up the fabric of a true leader of any organization: caring, respect, humility, commitment, dedication, humor, honesty, integrity, empathy, transparency, hard work and resiliency. Capt. Machona is everything a leader wants in a public affairs officer and an Airman.”
Senior Master Sgt. Craig Clapper, superintendent of public affairs, 113th Wing, agrees. “In my 24 years of military service, I can certainly say that Capt. Machona is one of the best leaders I’ve ever worked with. The fact that he’s also a decent human being makes working with him an absolute pleasure,” said Clapper.
Being an exemplary leader also means sharing expertise and fostering the growth of others. Machona focuses on being a good leader and a mentor to others and always shows by example to those around him that no matter the adversity in life they can always persevere to attain their goals.
One example of how Machona has done just that is earning his law degree from Arizona Summit Law School in 2016. He hopes to serve his community as an attorney, representing the marginalized and helping those who cannot help themselves.
“Challenges in life are inevitable. I think the real test that an individual has in life is at his or her lowest point. Do you give up or do you keep moving forward?” said Machona. “If you always keep pushing and doing the best that you can, you're unable to fail because, inside, you should always have the satisfaction that you’ve done your best. That, in and of itself, is success in my book.”
| Date Taken: | 02.05.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.14.2021 12:24 |
| Story ID: | 389048 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON D.C., DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 340 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, African Immigrant to American Airman, by SSgt Amanda Bodony, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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