Ramstein airfield manager named best in Air Force

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amanda Dick
  • Ramstein Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Tech. Sgt. Shawn Smith, 86th Air Mobility Squadron contingency airfield manager, was recently selected as the Air Force Airfield Management Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

According to Air Force Instruction 36-2807, the award recognizes staff sergeants and technical sergeants in the airfield management career "who contributed to an outstanding degree, services, ideas, developments or accomplishments in airfield management (at individual's unit or career-field wide)."

Ramstein public affairs asked him a few questions to get to know more about the award-winning Airman.

Q: What is your hometown?
A: Cincinnati, Ohio

Q: How long have you been in the Air Force?
A: 14 years

Q: Why did you join the Air Force, and why did you select your AFSC (if by choice)?
A: To acquire both a formal academic education and simultaneously gain valuable experience in a career field I can take with me to the civilian work force after I retire.

Q: What is your official duty title?
A: Contingency Airfield Manager

Q: What are your normal tasks and duties?
A: I complete Airfield Surveys and Assessments in support of 3rd Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, United States European Command and Air Mobility Command requirements. I manage airfields throughout the EUCOM area of responsibility in support of real-world humanitarian relief operations as well as 86th Airlift Wing operations and exercises. I also manage my unit's Airfield Driving Program and currently am my unit's additional duty first sergeant.

Q: How does your job contribute to the Team Ramstein mission?
A: I provide for a safe operating environment on airfields throughout the AOR, where ever the 86th Airlift Wing is tasked to go, you can be sure that a safe and smoothly run airfield exists.

Q: What do you like about your job?
A: I really enjoy the anticipation of "where to next?" I've never had an assignment before where I get to travel to so many unique and exotic locations. It's a hard and dirty job sometimes, but the group of people I work with always comes together and form a strong team, gets the job done and gets to see some really cool places in the process.

Q: What kind of base or community involvement do you participate in?
A: I've been active in Operation Just Us, the Airman's Attic and the point of contact for numerous squadron, group and wing events.

Q: What kind of things do you do to improve yourself as an Airman?
A: Study! And by study I mean I try to research an answer before relying on someone else to provide it to me. I tend to remember things better when I have to research it myself. Also, I try to recognize positive traits in my fellow Airman and senior NCOs and borrow or emulate those traits.

Q: What is/was your favorite assignment?
A: That's a tie: This assignment in the contingency response group here at Ramstein and my four-year assignment in Aviano Air Base, Italy, (1999-2003). I love being stationed here in Europe.

Q: How does winning this award make you feel?
A: Honored and thankful.

Q: Is there anything else about you/the award that you'd like to share?
A: I would really like to thank my co-workers in the CRG, who have trained me to think outside the box and taught me cross-functional skills I never thought I would have learned as an airfield manager.

Q: How would you have someone else position themselves in a way that they could complete your jobs?
A: Training and dedication, and then train some more.