Courtesy Photo | U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Brad Seymour, technician lead, Chief of Combat...... read more read more
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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – For decades, a slogan was used to characterize the military service of U.S. National Guard and Reserve members: “One weekend a month, two weeks a year.”
While the minimum service requirement remains 12 drill weekends and a 10-to-14 day training period annually, this is not necessarily the experience of Guard members and Reservists today. Take for instance the Michigan National Guard, which as of March 2021 has had members continually aiding the state’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic for more than a year.
Besides domestic activations for crisis situations like COVID-19, opportunities exist for reserve component members to step up in a multitude of other functions. Just ask U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Brad Seymour, a member of the Michigan Air National Guard’s 110th Wing, who has been activated for multiple tours at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, supporting Air Forces (AFFOR) staff functions at Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Europe – Air Forces Africa.
Altogether, Seymour has had the rare experience of spending nearly a decade overseas as a member of the Michigan Air National Guard.
“The nice thing about being in the Guard is the flexibility,” he said. “I have the ability to work the minimum time required by my unit, or I can volunteer to serve and be employed almost full time.”
Seymour is a native Michigander who enlisted on active duty in 1994 as an aeronautical repair and reclamation technician for B-1 bombers. He later served as a flight engineer on C-5 cargo planes in the Reserves before switching to the Air National Guard in his home state. The year was 2011 and Seymour expected to spend less time in uniform as he began pursuing a civilian career as a registered nurse.
That changed when Seymour’s unit, the 217th Air Operations Group, offered an opportunity to go to Germany. The 217th AOG is a component of the 110th Wing also based at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base with a rare mission to provide reserve-component augmentation for USAFE-AFAFRICA’s 603d Air Operations Center. The 603d AOC provides plans, directs, and assesses operational level command and control of integrated air, space, and cyber power in support of two combatant commands: U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM).
Working within the 603d AOC operations planning staff, Seymour learned how short and long-term plans are developed and executed at the combatant-command level. It opened his eyes to the impact one person can make when shaping big-picture outcomes.
After that first tour, he wanted to come back.
“It was great to work with people at all levels – civilian, military, and our European partners,” Seymour said. “Being here gave me a really good opportunity to contribute to our mission in Europe and in Africa.”
Since then, Seymour’s experience at USAFE-AFAFRICA has delivered beyond expectation. He has been requested to return to Ramstein for multiple tours, sometimes serving in different capacities including high-visibility innovation projects, support for operations in Libya, and planning processes during the Ebola crisis in Africa. He is presently working as a technician under the chief of combat operations, with responsibility to integrate multiple data streams to monitor the status of aircraft flying in Europe and Africa. He also curates the daily flying schedule for the AOC’s awareness and coordinates with the rest of the USAFE-AFAFRICA staff to prepare the four-star commander’s daily operations and intelligence brief.
With his deep experience working multiple staff functions – especially as active duty counterparts frequently rotate to new assignments – Seymour is able to offer continuity and a go-to network that streamlines the flow of information in an otherwise complex environment where data is currency that can mark the difference between success and failure.
“I think it’s all about having that experience and developing those relationships; that’s what helps to effectively move information where it needs to go quickly,” he said. “I’m comfortable with many different jobs, which allows me to contribute in many roles depending on what USAFE-AFAFRICA needs.”
In between tours at Ramstein, Seymour was still able to complete a nursing degree and maintains his RN credentials on a medical-surgical unit at a Michigan hospital, as well as a local hospice care home. This means that like many National Guard members, he brings the perspective of a completely different technical skillset when innovative solutions are called for. Seymour is quick to point out that while nursing and air operations planning may seem like divergent worlds, they are not so different in practice.
“Both jobs require creativity, communication, problem solving, and quick execution – so being here at the AOC helps me to perform better at the hospital, and vice-versa,” he said.
Armed with these tools, the opportunity to make a difference – and the gratification that follows – is what motivates Seymour to continue serving after nearly 30 years.
“It’s been so interesting and rewarding working here,” Seymour said of his experience at USAFE-AFAFRICA. “I plan to stay another two years if I’m able.”
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2021 09:09 |
| Story ID: | 392808 |
| Location: | RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 905 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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