First Sergeants Council host 2nd annual symposium

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Ruben Rios
  • 514th Air Mobility Wing
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  The 514th Air Mobility Wing First Sergeants Council held the second annual First Sergeant Symposium at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, from November 5-6, 2021.

“The goal of this symposium is multi-faceted,” said Senior Master Sgt. Megan Munoz, First Sergeant Council secretary and 35th Aerial Port Squadron first sergeant. “The first reason is to expose potentially interested noncommissioned officers and senior noncommissioned officers to what being a first sergeant is all about. The next is to train those interested parties in the specific skills necessary to be a first sergeant.

During the symposium, NCOs and SNCOs interested in becoming first sergeants were able to receive informal training on various circumstances first sergeants may experience with their Airmen.

“First sergeants are often met with situations that might be outside their previous realm of experience,” said Munoz. “Through this symposium, we can expose and train the next generation of first sergeants to be able to handle these situations better.”

Because the role of a first sergeant is so vast the training requires insight from other departments.

“We not only trained on topics provided directly by the First Sergeant Academy but also brought in relevant guest speakers from across the base and Air Force to share their insight,” said Munoz. “This included mental health services, chaplains, legal career advisors, sexual assault coordinators and more.”

The First Sergeants Council gained four new members from last year’s symposium and hopes to obtain similar goals this year.

“From the first symposium, we were able to hire four members who became official first sergeants and many others who became additional-duty first sergeants throughout the wing,” said Munoz. “Due to the success of the first symposium, we currently have no vacancies at the wing. We hope that by offering these symposiums annually, we can continue to have a first sergeant in each unit.”