Photo By Master Sgt. Andrew Sinclair | U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Amanda Allard poses for a photo with Col. Gavin Batchelder,...... read more read more
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BANGOR AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Me. (Aug. 1, 2024) – When asking service members why they joined the military, there are a few answers more typical than others. Their “why?” is often credited to family legacy, a desire to serve the country or for the benefits provided. For Bangor Air National Guardsman MSgt. Amanda Allard, she found inspiration through her dad who also served.
Allard can remember the days of being a kid and walking around the house in his uniform, stomping around in his boots many sizes too big. The Air Force wasn’t always on her mind though. Originally, she had set her path to becoming an occupational therapist while serving as a drill-status guardsman. However, when deciding to transition from being a DSG and OT student to picking up active orders, one goal stayed the same; to help people.
“I have this really high drive to help everyone with everything,” she said. Allard is the Wing Commander’s Support Staff.
She describes her desire to help people as both her strength and sometimes her downfall.
“Saying ‘no’ sometimes is really difficult for me,” she said. “It’s a struggle for me to balance what things I should get involved with and what things I need to just let someone else take care of. If there’s some way for me to help, I want to do that.”
As much as Allard would take on any task alone, the other members in her shop know when to jump in, without her even asking. She expressed how the CSS shop is like one big family. Working together for many years, they have all learned how to balance each other out. They know when to allow someone to work through a difficult task or when to jump in to provide assistance when needed. Sometimes asking for help isn’t always a verbal cue but is something sensed by someone in the office across the room. The shop could not function without every member.
“The people that I work with are all great people,” she expressed. “Everyone’s willing to pitch in and help.”
The environment breeds the comradery. When surrounded by good people, there’s no worry if a task will be too much to handle. For Allard, taking on additional tasks can be overwhelming, but also provides a positive perspective in parallel. The nature of her job allows her to see not only the mission of her shop, but also all other shops on base.
“I get to see all kinds of different things,” she shared. “I get to see all parts of the mission. I get to see all of the nitty gritty and how things actually work and why we make the decisions we make. Sometimes when you work in different squadrons you only get to see the little bits and pieces of the mission, and you don’t understand why leadership makes the decisions that they do. Now I actually get to see all of that which is really cool.”
Spending years in the same role may become monotonous for some. For Allard, it’s the internal drive and the people around her that get her through the days. She expressed how everyone in the shop has a desire to work hard, which in turn radiates on those around them. They motivate each other to show up every day and produce their best work, because they all have a desire to serve and serve well.
“You just build those relationships,” she shared. “I think that’s what gets you through the days. Being able to just lean on each other and sit down and just joke and laugh and mess around.”
Allard’s outlook on her role now is shaped by her past experiences. Serving for 16 years now, she expressed some advice she wishes she could’ve given to her junior enlisted self.
“Take every opportunity whether it sounds like a horrible thing or not,” she said. “Just take it, because you end up learning so many things that you might not have known otherwise. Take those deployments, take the additional duties, because they all teach you something. It might not be your favorite thing to do, but it will teach you something.”
To get to where she is now in her career, Allard expressed that being prepared is key. People come and people go, and the next one in line to be chosen will be the one that has their stuff together. She advised that being prepared will always workout better than trying to play catch up, which could result in missed opportunities.
Allard shared that despite bringing your best self to work every day, sometimes you will fall short.
“Not every day will be 100%,” she said. “Some days all you have is 20%, but you still show up and you still try the next day. Sometimes you have to work a little harder to get through the sludge, but you’ll come out on the other side as long as you keep trying.”
The comradery of a shop is key to its success, and a helping hand can go a long way.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2024 14:50 |
| Story ID: | 478014 |
| Location: | BANGOR, MAINE, US |
| Web Views: | 640 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Always Having a Desire to Lend a Helping Hand, by A1C Bridget Rossignol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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