Staff Sgt. Crystal Moronta Published May 20, 2010 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- "Tip of the Spear" is a weekly spotlight designed to recognize outstanding Airmen for the work they do every day at Hurlburt Field. Staff Sgt. Crystal Moronta, 1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron Airman Leadership School instructor, was selected for this week's spotlight. Name: Staff Sgt. Crystal Moronta Unit: 1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron Duty Title: Airman Leadership School instructor Hometown: Austin, Texas Date Entered the Air Force: Feb. 27, 2001 Hobbies: I love spending time with my family and going to garage sales. Why did you join the Air Force? I wanted to be part of something I could be proud of. How does your Air Force specialty contribute to the mission? ALS instructors prepare senior Airmen for future leadership responsibilities. If you were Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force for one day, how would you change the Air Force? Recently, the Air Force merged a lot of career fields and put a lot of Airmen in positions where they are responsible for people or assets they may not be familiar with. I would like to evaluate all these changes and ensure Airmen are getting the proper training needed to be successful in their new jobs. What's your favorite thing about Hurlburt Field? Having the experience of working with the individuals who have a direct contribution to keeping our country safe is awesome. Also, the beach and the weather are great! What do you like most about being an Airman? When something like the events of Sept. 11, 2001 happens, my job and the people around me can actually make a contribution to attacking the enemy, responding to the attack or helping with recovery efforts. I feel like I make a direct contribution to protecting my friends and family. What's the one thing you wish you were told before joining the Air Force? The Command Post is not the commander's secretary! What motivates you at work? My motivation at work comes from my peers and my Airmen. My peers show me how to be a good follower, and my Airmen motivate me to be a better NCO. They consistently challenge me to work harder, learn more and set a good example. Who are your heroes/role models? The people I look up to in my personal life are my husband and children. Their strength, energy and love amaze me every day. My military roles models are retired Chief Master Sgt. Ray Farrell and Senior Master Sgt. Sonia Morman. Chief Farrell has always been there to listen when I was frustrated and never hesitated to tell it like it is. Sergeant Morman has taught me a lot about how to take care of your Airmen and balance between being over-directive and too easy. Any advice to others? Take care of your Airmen! Don't let your determination to succeed hinder your ability to lead your people. People will never remember what rank you have when you retire, but they will always remember the things you did for them. Why was she selected? "Sergeant Moronta's superior professionalism and duty performance is beyond reproach and was recently highlighted as she was selected as the Air Force's Enlisted Professional Military Education NCO of the Year for 2009. She has more than 4,000 classroom hours and trained more than 350 of our future leaders to be professional, war-fighting Airmen who can supervise and lead the Air Force's work teams. She is truly a quiet professional who exemplifies the Air Force's core values to the fullest." -Senior Master Sgt. Sonia Morman, Airman Leadership School commandant