First Sergeants: People are our business

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kristopher Levasseur
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  

More than 4,500 enlisted Airmen work hard every day to keep the mission going at RAFs Lakenheath and Feltwell and more than 30 first sergeants here work hard to keep them going.

"I believe that if you take care of your folks, your folks will take care of the mission," said Master Sgt. Dale Lawrence, 48th Communications Squadron first sergeant.

Many people go through difficult times working with the military. They may be having financial issues, difficulties in there jobs or trouble at home. The one thing they can count on is their first sergeant to be there to help them out.

"I had a problem a while back and no matter who I talked to, nothing seemed to change," said Airman 1st Class David Hart, 48th CS. "I decided to go to Sergeant Lawrence and the problem was resolved the next day."

The first sergeants job description covers a broad range of issues.

"It's really hard to condense what a first sergeant does into one sentence," said Sergeant Lawrence. "Our job is to take care of people, that's what we do."

The mission of the first sergeant is more complex than almost any other job in the Air Force. First sergeants have responsibilities to the commander, their organization, fellow noncommissioned officers, up and coming Airmen and civilian employees.

"Good, bad or indifferent, I'm here for my folks," said Sergeant Lawrence. "I have an absolute open door policy."

First sergeants deal with a variety of issues every day from coining Airmen for the good things they have done to counseling Airman for the bad things they have done.

For instance, first sergeants advise commanders on moral, health and welfare, and disciplinary issues. In addition, they perform quality reviews on enlisted performance report's, liaise with civilian support agencies and monitor unit administration dependant care programs to ensure a high quality of life.

"It's not about punishing Airmen, it's about correcting their behavior," said Sergeant Lawrence.

First sergeant's can be traced back to the seventeenth-century Prussian army. The Prussian army feldwebel, first sergeant equivalent, was a combination of both modern first sergeant duties with those of the chief master sergeant in the Air Force. The U.S. military has employed first sergeants ever since General Washington first set up the American Army, said Chief Master Sgt. Roger M. Ball, commandant of the United States Air Force First Sergeant Academy, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama at http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/au-24/ball.pdf.

"Being a first sergeant has been a fantastic experience," said Sergeant Lawrence. "It can be a thankless job that's more time consuming than most, but more rewarding than all." 

First sergeant's creed
 I am a first sergeant. My job is people -- Every One is My Business. I dedicate my time and energy to their needs; their health, morale, discipline, and welfare. I grow in strength by strengthening my people. My job is done in faith; my people build faith.