2. Chief Master Sgt. Mike Seger assumed the role of 125FW command chief during a change-of-
authority ceremony held here immediately following the change of command. Chief Master Sgt.
Sharon Ervin relinquished the position to Seger after six years of service.
"For anyone who knows how a fighter wing really works, and what makes a fighter wing great, you
look to the quality of the chief master sergeants, and let me tell you ours are incredible," Simpler
said.
The wing command chief is the senior enlisted advisor to the wing commander for the enlisted
force, which comprises nearly 850 Airmen of the 948 total members of the 125FW. As such, the
command chief advises the commander and senior staff members regarding enlisted members'
health, morale, and welfare. The command chief also serves as the functional manager to seven first
sergeants.
by Technical Sgt. William Buchanan
125FW Public Affairs
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3. HITTING THE TARGET
First, you are the weapon that fires these metaphorical bullets: Your body—much like any issued
weapon--must be well maintained, serviceable, and fully functional. Your judgment and vision, much
like your sights, must be clean and free of fog. Practice makes perfect and you can never be content by
just being good; you must always set higher goals. Goal accomplishment, just as the experience gained
at the range, will provide you a key ingredient of leadership--it will build your confidence.
Small goals build your confidence, teach you a sense of accomplishment, and polish you up for
the bigger goals: By upholding the highest of standards and by exercising skilled discipline and wise
judgment, you ensure that your aim is accurate and that your rounds are on-target. In order to remain
proficient, you must frequent the range and improve your technique. If you don't, your skills will
degrade. Hitting the bull’s-eye once does not make you a sniper; just as one single school will not make
you an effective leader. Continue to get better every day by always applying the fundamentals and
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ensuring the basics are covered. You cannot afford to regress.
As your marksmanship improves, remember the fundamentals of shooting: Always begin with the
basics. In marksmanship, the basics are to breathe, concentrate, aim, and never take your eyes off the
target. Never get cocky as you improve. Just like marksmanship, remember the basics for good
leadership. You must remain humble throughout the process and be reasonable with setting goals. It
takes time, patience, and dedication to be proficient. Do not give up when you miss the target or lose
focus. Always have perseverance, dedication, and faith in your abilities.
On the subject of humility, do not ever think--or tell yourself--that you know everything: At the
range there are always opportunities to improve. If you can hit the
target in a fraction of a second from the five-meter line, then move back to the ten-meter line and work
to achieve the same accuracy. Subsequently, when you perfect your skills at the ten-meter line, move to
the twenty-meter line and start working on that goal. Perfection is a product of dedication and
continuously challenging ourselves. I was never a 'know it all'. When I stepped on the range, I knew
that in order to maximize my resources--bullets and range time--I had to pay close attention to detail. I
always had someone else there to acknowledge when I was on target; a range-master (mentor) always
checking my shot placement.
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4. We cannot accomplish this or any feat alone: Choose your range-masters wisely. They must be
people who are 'straight-shooters'. They teach keeping control of the weapon (self-discipline), shooting
technique (task accomplishment), and shot placement (goal accomplishment). They are there to assist
when your weapon malfunctions (to overcome setbacks). They are the ones that candidly tell you when
you miss, give you a sight correction, and be there to follow through when you fire your next round.
They ensure you hit the target every time.
This is what I learned while trying to perfect my skills: (1) You must stop, listen, and ask questions
from those who can make you better. (2) Do not waste bullets by talking the talk--firing up in the air--
and never walking the walk. To talk without following up with actions is like shooting blank
ammunition. You only make noise and there is no impact. (3) You never let frustration fog your lens-
-calmly wipe it while keeping your sights on target. (4) Lastly, never give up, stay until the job gets
done, and utilize your skills and knowledge to make the next generation better.
Silver Bullets for Effective Leadership Vol.3 by: CMSGT Ramon Colon-Lopez
“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be
without one, be without strategy.” Norman Schwarzkopf
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5. Well we did it again! The 125th SFS helped raise $228 for the Special Olympics by
participating in the 2013 Law Enforcement Torch Run. I stated that I wanted the double
last year’s amount, and we did by $132 dollars. Although not everyone who contributed
could attend, a special thanks to everyone who had a hand in making this happen.
Capt. Melear, Capt. Thompson, SMSgt Pangelinan, MSgt Davis, MSgt Koonce, MSgt
Wilkerson, MSgt Bargeron, MSgt Liberty, MSgt Wilkie, TSgt Woodard, TSgt Fernandez,
TSgt Pelton, SSgt Perez, SSgt Randolph, SSgt Mistisshen, SSgt Wright, SrA Castillo SrA
Murray and Mark Frank.
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6. TSgt Woodard, SSgt Randolph, and I recently went on a TDY to St. Kitts & Nevis, an island nation in
the West Indies. We were part of a Military Police Exchange Program, providing training and exchange
of ideas to their defense and police force. Both their defense force and police force work together to
keep peace and provide law & order to their small nation. We provided guidance on several law
enforcement techniques such as vehicle and personnel challenges, handcuffing & searching, responding
to domestic disturbances, crime scenes, room clearing, and responding to alarms. The participants were
very engaged in the training and really enjoyed what we brought to the table. They were able to relate
to a lot of what we instructed with their day-to-day duties and will be taking what they’ve learned to the
field.
SSGT ARLIES PEREZ
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7. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Athletes
1. Don't Be a Fatty
There are a few ways to guarantee that you'll be a fatty, so let's address them head on. Remember, all
healing starts with the truth. If this bothers you, then I'm probably talking about you.
Stop eating a bunch of crap food. Cut out breakfast cereal, stop buying the school lunch, and kill
the fast food when your friends take their weekly (or daily) trip to Zaxby’s. Stop skipping
breakfast.
You need to eat three good meals along with some smaller meals in between. This will actually
lean you out if you keep protein high, and fats and carbs moderate.
Commit to eating stronger, more nutritious foods. Your friends will think you're crazy and you
won't fit in with the "normal crowd," but who cares? Being normal sucks and normal never
helped create any champions.
2. Live By Your Word
It's a shame. An honest person is hard to find. If you say you're going to do it, then do it—and go
all out. If you give your word, don't make excuses; make it happen.
3. Leave Everything in the Gym
This boils down to honesty. Be honest with yourself. When you look yourself in the mirror after
your workout, ask yourself, "Did I give my all today?"
That is what training is all about. You are your own enemy. Push yourself to your limits and
beyond. Learn what it means to tolerate pain and break through the pain barrier.
Break records and always train to become at least one percent better than the last workout.
4. Excuses Pave the Road to Nowhere
People make excuses about why they can't have a strong breakfast, why they ate a crappy lunch,
and why they can't get to the gym more than twice per week. Really? You only train twice each
week and on the other five days you can't train? The athletes who make excuses are simply giving
themselves a green light to lose. You must be brutally honest with yourself if you want to achieve
success.
Avoid making excuses and learn to take responsibility for all your actions. Learn this skill now
and you will be powerful not just during your years as an athlete, but for the rest of your life if
you continue living the code of no excuses.
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8. 5. When Things Go Wrong, Keep Fighting
You will hit walls, setbacks, and obstacles, but this is when the true champion rises to the
occasion. There is always a way to train, to rise above, to conquer and crush obstacles. You will
see big changes in your success when you have the right mindset.
You have nothing to lose when you step up and give it your all. You can walk away with your
chin held high knowing you did all you could to achieve your goals.
6. Beat the Guy Next to You Every Time
When you train, get in there and compete. This goes for the weight room, practice, and life in
general. Average doesn't cut it in sports or life; the two go hand in hand. When you train, you
should push at high intensity and making everyone else rise to your level.
If you've got a job, then don't be satisfied with only doing what's in your "job description." Go
above and beyond the job description because that is what it takes to go from average to YOU
setting the example.
7. Don't Be Afraid to Fail
This is where many younger athletes go wrong. They set their sights on small goals, feeling they
are not ready for the bigger goals.
First you must decide that you are going to achieve a big, specific goal. That goal will drive your
actions to greater heights. Every rep, every set, every workout, and every meal they will all be
done with the motivation to kick ass and take names to achieve your goal. Without a big goal,
you will go stale and you'll hit a wall.
Each workout must push you out of your comfort zone so you begin getting used to overcoming
obstacles, winning when the odds are against you, doing the little extra to prove to yourself that
you're capable of achieving more than you thought possible from the onset.
Every workout, become one percent stronger on the inside, not just on the bar. You might be
wondering how the heck you can achieve this. Well, let me preface my words by telling you that
it's going to hurt. You're going to have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. In the end, you
decide how great you will become.
By: Senior Airman Chelsie Murray
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