Shirt Symposium

Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Gearhardt, 1st Special Operations Logistic Readiness Squadron first sergeant, briefs at the First Sergeant Symposium on Hurlburt Field, Fla., Sept. 20, 2013. The symposium was a four-day course which taught Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base NCOs the 'in's and out's' of being a first sergeant. (U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Jeff Parkinson)

Hurlburt, Eglin 1st Shirts mold future "diamond-wearers"

Published Sept. 24, 2013
By Airman 1st Class Jeff Parkinson
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- More than 150 NCOs from Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base gathered at the 19th Special Operations Squadron auditorium here for the First Sergeant Symposium Sept. 17 through 20.

The annual symposium focused on the "in's and out's" of what it takes to be a first sergeant.

"It allows [NCOs] to get the information they need if they were to be called to fill in for a first sergeant," said Master Sgt. Timothy Allison, 19th SOS first sergeant. "It also helps them if they decide to become a diamond-wearing first sergeant themselves."

During the four-day course, attendees learned about key first sergeants duties.

"We covered everything from domestic violence, counseling and the legal system," said Master Sgt. Charles Mann, 1st Special Operations Comptroller Squadron first sergeant. "Counseling is an important part of our job. We need to know how to talk to our people to get the information we need in order to help them."

This year, the Hurlburt Field First Sergeants Council teamed up with Eglin Air Force Base in order to train more people.

According to Mann, Eglin will host their First Sergeant Symposium in roughly six months. Therefore, those who couldn't make it won't have to wait another year to attend.

At the end of the course, some NCOs said they left with a new understanding of what it means to be a first sergeant.

"I've learned a lot as far as what the first sergeant roles actually are," said Tech. Sgt. Rekesha Myree, 96th Operations Support Squadron airfield management operations NCO in charge, Eglin AFB. "Now I look at it [as more] than I did in the past."

According to Mann, there is currently a great need for first sergeants.

"Many first sergeant positions go unfilled because there are not enough "diamond-wearers" to fit the need," he said. "However, the annual First Sergeant Symposium is just one way we are trying to fix that."