Commentary: Every Airman can be an agent of change Published July 31, 2008 By Maj. Unes A. Booth 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron KADENA AB, Japan -- My most rewarding experiences in the Air Force have been helping other Airmen achieve their goals. Two of my proudest moments occurred as a captain. The first was when I helped a master sergeant who lost his leg stay in the Air Force and the second, when I helped an NCO enroll in Officer Training School. I'm sharing these stories with you because they have given me confidence in our Air Force leadership and they've turned me into a true believer that all of us can affect change. While stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy in the late 1990s, a master sergeant I supervised lost his leg in a motorcycle accident. As tragic as this may sound, this individual would not accept the fact that the loss of a leg would end his Air Force career. His determination to stay on active duty motivated me to do everything I could to help. As a captain, I obviously did not have the authority to decide the outcome, but it was clear to me that I could play a significant part in influencing it. My role was to prepare squadron, group, and wing commander letters recommending this senior NCO be retained on active duty. Soon after the letters were completed, a medical board convened in San Antonio, Texas, and the board was prepared to recommend medical retirement. Convinced that this was absolutely the wrong decision for the Air Force, my wing commander made one last appeal to the board and was able to keep this outstanding Airman on active duty. The second experience that reinforced my belief in our Air Force leadership also occurred at Aviano. In this instance, I had a young NCO in my duty section that had been selected for OTS but was having difficulty signing up for a class date. The problem boiled down to conflicting guidance between AFIs. While searching for a way to help solve this problem, I learned that the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel would be visiting the base and having lunch with the Company Grade Officers Council. I quickly prepared for the lunch with AFIs, paragraphs, and line references in hand. When the opportunity arose, I nervously stood up and asked my question about the conflicting guidance. To my surprise, the general took a note and said that this was something he should be able to change. In no less than two weeks, Headquarters Air Force released a message that directed all enlisted personnel selected to attend OTS report to their education centers and immediately sign up for a class date. In both of these events, I did not have the authority to decide the outcome, but I was clearly in a position to influence it. I believed that my Air Force leadership would make the best decisions for the Air Force upon hearing the facts, and in both cases they did. The master sergeant who lost his leg eventually became a chief master sergeant and is still serving today. The young NCO who needed an OTS class date is now a captain at Travis AFB. Every single Airman is in a position to affect change. Therefore, believe in yourself and believe in your leadership and help make tomorrow's Air Force even better than today's.