RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Tech. Sgt. Joshua D. Ohienmhen (oh-he-nin), a noncommissioned officer in charge of the 86th Airlift Maintenance Squadron grew up in Bristol, Virginia, where he lived most of his life until joining the Air Force.
Ohienmhen and his fellow Airmen were given the chance to fill out their base of preference sheets during technical school with bases where the Airmen would spend the next couple years of their career.
Luckily Ohienmhen ended up getting his number one pick.
“When I got Cannon Air Force Base, I didn't know what to think,” said Ohienmhen “Luckily my teacher was previously stationed at that base and gave me valuable information and assurance that Cannon AFB would be an awesome experience.”
Ohienmhen picked up playing disc golf while at Cannon AFB. It’s a sport in which players throw a disc at a target with as few throws as possible, and it’s usually played on a course with nine or 18 holes. Players complete a hole by throwing a disc from a tee pad or area toward a target, throwing again from where the previous throw landed until the target is reached.
“Disc golf is a hard game to pick up at first, there's a lot of technique and practice that goes into getting good,” Said Ohienmhen.
Unfortunately, everything was closed due to COVID-19 when Ohienmhen got to Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Ohienmhen picked up reading, another one of his old hobbies, during the lockdown.
“Recently though I’ve transitioned to more of audiobooks,” said Ohienmhen. “I'm currently listening to Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins. Listening to the book has been a great experience that in some ways has related to my life. It has shown that dedication and resiliency are key to success.”
“Nobody embodies dedication and resiliency quite like Ohienmhen.” said Senior Master Sgt. Jimmy Drybola, assistant supervisor assigned to the 86th Aircraft Maintenance squadron.
“Since the moment he got here Ohienmhen has proven himself an immediate asset,” said Drybola. “He has shown he is capable of leading and mentoring.”
Ohienmhen was awarded Airlifter of the Week June 29, 2021, for his outstanding display of leadership and innovation. It started with his unearthing multiple competency and qualification deficiencies at the workplace.
“Safety is the number one priority on and off the flightline,” said Ohienmhen. “Many things can go wrong in an instant, so we have to stay vigilant and look out for everyone.”
Not only did he discover areas for improvement, he also established a root cause analysis matrix, implementing 240 focused objective milestones, and improving the quality for 15 dedicated crew chiefs and 16 assistant dedicated crew chiefs.
Ohienmhen’s relentless pursuit of flightline safety proved paramount in the investigation after a 37th Airlift Squadron loadmaster was injured during a cargo ramp operation. Ohienmhen highlighted a traction hazard on 12 aircraft and sourced new grip tape sheets to help eliminate the risk of injury after scrutinizing the safety report
“Getting Airlifter of the Week is something I could not have accomplished alone,” said Ohienmhen. “Without my fellow Airmen and leadership supporting me none of this would have been possible.”