BALTIMORE -- The top leadership of the Air National Guard met with Airmen of the 175th Wing February 10, 2018, during a visit to Warfield ANG Base during a day of their weekend training.
Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice, director of the Air National Guard, along with Chief Master Sgt. Ronald C. Anderson, command chief master sergeant of the Air National Guard, talked with the members of the Maryland Air National Guard and answered their questions during the tour of the facilities.
“It’s a good way for them to get a pulse of the worker bees, the people who are in the trenches every day,” said Tech Sgt. Joshua Winchell, a cyber warfare operator with the 276th Operations Squadron. “They were willing to talk about the tough issues we are facing and give us an idea of what they’re looking to do.”
When speaking to the Airmen, Rice discussed topics like the global and local importance of their work and how the family-dynamic of the ANG sets it apart.
“When we hire you, we hire you with the opportunity to become a guardsmen for the rest of your life,” said Rice. “I don’t care if you say your enlistment is up after your first term and you go out into the community to do other things. To me you will always be a guardsmen because you have made a difference for our country, our organization, and our unit.”
Anderson, who started his ANG career with the Maryland National Guard, said visiting the 175th Wing was like coming home.
“Much of who I am and what I bring to this position as the ANG command chief started right here,” said Anderson. “It’s great to walk around this organization and see so many friends who I’ve known for so many years.”
Over the course of the day, Rice presided over two enlistments and one reenlistment, as well as recognized individual Airmen for their outstanding contributions while serving.
Staff Sgt. Miriam Y. Jarvis was recognized for her contributions as the president of the 175th Wing’s Junior Enlisted Council and was surprised to receive the director’s coin.
“It’s everyone else in the JEC that makes it what it is, not just me,” said Jarvis, the customer service non-commissioned office (NCO) for the 175th Force Support Squadron. “I’m just the overseer of what they all do. I wish that everyone else could have gotten the coin too.”
Since May or 2016, Rice and Anderson, who are responsible for more than 105,500 guard members and civilians across 213 locations throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories, have visited many bases to get a first-hand glimpse of the organizations they are responsible for.
“I’m grateful that they took the time to meet with us on a weekend and make the drive over to speak to us,” said Winchell, who had lunch with Rice, Anderson and other junior enlisted Airmen. “It’s great for them to get an idea of what our issues are and what our opinions are on certain things.”