Photo By Senior Airman Ryan Hayman | U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Brian Stone, 378th Expeditionary Communications Squadron plans...... read more read more
Subscribe
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY – During a series of unexpected developments, the 378th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron faced a temporary leadership gap.
Maj. Robert Field, 378th Expeditionary Communications Squadron commander, and Capt. Christopher Ford, 378th ELRS commander, saw a unique opportunity to fill the leadership gap and provide a driven junior officer with Mission-Ready Airman experience.
1st Lt. Brian Stone, 378th ECS plans and resources flight commander, stepped outside the traditional role of a communications Airman to learn and execute the 378th ELRS mission, preparing him for future leadership roles, including those within a combat communications unit.
The MRA concept represents a shift from traditional, large force packages of highly specialized teams toward smaller, multidisciplinary teams that can provide combat support and solve problems with the available resources.
"I was hesitant at first because it was outside my career field," Stone said. "In the first week, I followed Capt. Ford learning the day-to-day life aspects of how ELRS worked, and I spent the next two weeks in different flights to see their mission and how they operated."
As Stone immersed himself in the ELRS's daily operations and diverse missions, he began to see the bigger picture.
"I saw how every flight was different, but they all connected to accomplish the mission," said Stone. "Once I started to get into the groove of everything, I began to fill the director of operations role," he continued.
Stone's seamless adaptation into his new role within 378th ELRS didn't go unnoticed as a high-level performer.
"He came over and hit the ground running, doing exactly the things I would expect a seasoned DO to do without a second thought," Ford said enthusiastically. “He was where I needed him, asking all the right questions and communicating information back so we could tackle issues and challenges head on.”
This rapid adjustment and performance demonstrated his capability and broadened his understanding of the unit's operations.
"I now understand how things work and move across the theater," said Stone. "It never hurts to learn what other officers or enlisted members do, and because I'm able to understand certain problems, I now get what goes into the ELRS mission."
By closely integrating within the 378th ELRS, Stone is better equipped with greater knowledge of logistics as he progresses throughout his career and pursues future leadership roles, including those within combat communications units.
"The mission of combat communications is to deploy and set up communications in the middle of nowhere," said Field. "They deploy with tents, generators, and satellite dishes so they can set everything up to provide communications where there's absolutely nothing."
Field acknowledged that this unique experience early in Stone’s career will prepare him to be a stronger, more versatile, communications officer in the future.
"I wish I had this opportunity; everything I know has largely been through trial and error," said Field. “I got some exposure to planning in a combat communications unit, but a full logistics immersion would have paid dividends.”
Stone's early career experience in logistics functions and execution has equipped him with a rare level of insight, giving him a significant advantage as he pursues combat communications and develops as a communications officer.
“Being deployed and operating in expeditionary conditions often means going without all the people or resources you’d like,” said Col. Seth Spanier, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing commander. “That’s why it’s critical that we continue to lean into opportunities like this to nurture well-rounded and Mission-Ready Airman across our team.”
| Date Taken: | 09.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2024 02:03 |
| Story ID: | 481395 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mission-Ready Airman: Lt. Brian Stone, by SrA Ryan Hayman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
