00:00:08,180 --> 00:00:10,236 Hello , everybody and welcome to the First Avengers podcast for the New Year from the Showplace of the Air Force Joint Base , San Antonio Randolph Texas . I'm your host for this episode , Jet FAA from the 3 40 flying Training Group Public Affairs Team . In case you forgot during our extra extended break , this cast is dedicated to bringing Total Force tips and talks from subject matter experts and leaders throughout the Air Force that help inspire and inform . Last year , we wanted to introduce you to who we are as a group . And in this episode , we're taking on that same theme by introducing our newest senior enlisted leader , ma'am . Please introduce yourself . Um Thanks Jet . Thank you for having me here . I'm really excited . Uh My name is Chief mask sergeant Olisa Villarreal . Ok . Well , ma'am , thank you for joining us . So as I previously mentioned , um we'll just jump into it . Um We really strive to give our audience a better understanding of who we are on every podcast . And with our first question , I wanted to kick this one off by asking what motivated you to serve and to continue serving . I always love this question . When I'm asked , I am from a military family . My grandfather was in the military . My father was in the Air Force . My father in law , my husband and I am third generation . So the Air Force is a family business to me . So that's what motivates me . The Air force has been so great for me and my family , like everyone they wanted to join for education purposes . Absolutely . I didn't , I come from humbling beginnings . I was born in Thailand . My father was a staff sergeant , raising three Children by himself and we were able to travel the world and just having that family background that I didn't have , I didn't grow up near , you know , the typical grandparents , cousins . So the military family is what I grew up around . So my motivation was to be a part of that to continue to have that , um , that network . And I just felt safe , you know , I felt I was part of a bigger picture , but I love the Air Force so much that my Children joined . And so I and their spouses are in the Air Force . And if I didn't believe in what the Air Force has to offer and what they do , I never would have like , encouraged my Children to join . But , you know , that's why I continue to serve . It's , it means so much to be able to wear the uniform and serve alongside my Children and I'm not gonna be here forever . But they say , you know , when it's time to go and I'm not done yet . There's so much that I want to do to help the airmen make the air force better . Well , ma'am , uh thank you for providing us some background on your journey . The one , the question I know um that's usually brought up and one we wanted to ask was what's one bit of advice or , or , or two that you pass on to others who find themselves in a position to mentor equip and build the future of our force . Being a mentor is I think people that are being asked to be mentors , they should be honored that somebody found something in you that motivated them to wanna serve . So the advice that I would give to anyone that's in a mentoring that has a mentoring opportunity and to develop our force is , and I learned this when I was stationed at the Pentagon , a good friend of mine told me um that we are ship builders . And what I mean by ship builders is we need to develop partnerships , relationships and friendships . And as a mentor , you're not gonna know everything when someone comes up to you and they need advice or they're lost . They just don't know what the career path to go . Um You may not know the answer and being that shipbuilder , having those networking um options out there . I I'll take someone and I'll introduce them . Oh , you know what I have a friend that you would be perfect , that knows the path that you wanna take . So you do the introductions . So as a mentor , having that networking um background , people always say my superpower is that I , I know everybody that's not really true . I know people but I know people that know other people . And so just , just having that um will help you be in a better mentor because you just opened it up for um somebody else to have the opportunity to develop and mold that air . Another advice that I would give is don't waste to be , don't wait to be asked to be a mentor when you're walking around your squad or in your organization and you see something in someone that , that spark that what motivates them , pull them aside , get to know them a lot of times they don't know what they don't know . And by you just having that conversation and taking interest in their , their career , their personal lives , their professional lives , um you probably put them on a path . They didn't know that was available to them . So I say seek mentorship , seek mentorship opportunities even though you're not asked . But also don't look for those individuals that are , you know , with the fire , the passion , they wanna make the organization better . The best leaders that I've ever encountered and met across paths with were ones that made mistakes . So find those airmen that , you know , maybe they just went down the wrong road . Um You know , but sit down with them , get to know them and then teach them at it's ok to make a mistake . And then what did they learn from that mistake and have them share their story ? So other people won't make the same mistake that they've made . So basically what I'm trying to say , being a mentor is just be available , be approachable and then let people know that if they ever want to talk to you that you're available . That's awesome . You normally don't hear that aspect of , of mentorship . Um But no , it's a , again , it's uh you mean this program's about definitely learning new perspectives on , on just the walk and the career path as well . It's probably the best part of my day when somebody comes and says , Chief , you got a second . Absolutely . Have a seat and then you just have the conversation . Um Just being approachable will make people open up and you'd be amazed by how many times they didn't know that these opportunities are out there . But now that I know that they're interested in something I will do everything I can to help make open those doors that they didn't know that they , that were there . Well , ma'am , since we're on the topic of mentorship , I know the uh group's senior enlisted leaders recently uh had a leadership development summit . So would it be possible to get a first person view of what these summits consists of and their value to citizen airmen . Absolutely . I wish I could have had everyone there . But as the new group , CS C L I found it was important that I got to know the mission of the 3/40 and the fact that we have geographically separated units out there and they have S C L S there . I used to work in an organization where I was geographically separated and you kind of feel alone sometimes . And I felt like leadership didn't know what , what we dealt with on a day to day basis . So at this leadership event , they want , I wanted to get to know the , the S C L s at the G S US , basically how they're organized , how they , how they run their programs , but also to have cross talk amongst the other S C L s . So they can share their stories . Maybe they can learn from one another , maybe there's something that they do at one squadron that another squadron was like , wow , I didn't know I could do that and just opening up those lines of communication , I felt that was very necessary . Um being the new group S C L because I needed to know what they needed from me at the group um that I could advocate for them , what resources they need . So it was great to know them to open that trust . And um you can't do that virtually a lot of it . You have to do face to face . So that was more for me to get to know what they do at the G S US and what I can do to empower them and let them know that I'm here for them . And then on day two , we tried to open up um a leadership event for professional development . Um but of course , this was our first time doing this type of summit this event . So , you know , we had some hiccups and we had to adapt and adjust . But it was great to have the senior master sergeants here at the group , the MP F finance the S AM as well as X P . And I asked them to come and then I wanted to open up the line of communication amongst the S C with the group and it was a very productive conversation . Um And I said , you know , what are we doing ? What are the G S us doing that you appreciate and then what are things that you noticed that maybe we could do better ? And so we were able to do the open the lines of communication again and then just have that honest feedback back and forth . I thought that was very important . And then on the third day , I wanted to open it up to even a bigger pool of audience . But , you know , with communication and calms it , we weren't able to , you know , get the cameras working and everything , but we had a first sergeant panel and getting their leadership perspective , especially as an S C L A senior N C O and understanding the triad concept concept , you know , the commander , the chief and the first sergeant . So that was very good . They kind of provide examples of what they go through to kind of help us um letting you know they're , they're a valued resource as well to , to the group . But , and then there were talks and I know , I wish I could have had everyone all the enlisted from the 3/40 flying training group at 10 . But , you know , it all comes down to money . They did ask if we could do an enlisted summit . Um And I know there was one done back a few years ago . So it is on my agenda to maybe start having those conversations for the future . I'm not there yet . So when I'm walking around , you know , any ideas , I mean , just keep throwing them at me because I will ask the question . Well , that's awesome . And I , I , in terms of um this is uh another question , but I know I , I in terms of other organizations , um what are some highlights of the group that you've seen uh since you've been here ? Oh , that is a great question since I've been here a few weeks . And I will say the people you can see , they love what they do , they love the 3/40 and what they they have to offer and I see how excited , you know , that they're excited to come to work . And as I walk around , you know , to , to get introduce myself , let them know who I am . I , I wanna get to know them and when they share their story and why they're here , I couldn't ask for a better organization . And I've been through amazing organizations . I've been very blessed in my career , but I will say the 3/40 they have something special and , and I admire just how excited everyone is to come to work today and how excited they are to make their work organization better . Um Ma'am , uh there is another question I had um so I had uh we had Major Glover on at our um last year's podcast . We were just going over the mission of the four 33rd . And um what , what was that like being at B M T and going through that um that organization there at basic training . Well , and to be honest , I didn't realize we had a reserve squadron there and the fact that what they did to get basic training , get the , the air , the airmen through training to tech school during COVID , no other service could do that . And so the four 33rd saved basic training . To be honest , I mean , I'm just gonna say it . They're amazing . I was blessed . I , I , I was nervous , you know , working with M T I s everyone's like , oh , they're gonna yell at me , but they just wanted someone to take care of them . And so I appreciated them accepting me as a family , as a family member . They mentored me . They held me accountable . They provided me feedback that made me a better leader . And you know , we the things that they did and the great thing about the four 33rd is it's total force . You're working with the active duty , um side by side and there is no difference between active duty and reserve and the active duty squadrons . The chiefs , they embraced me , they provided me , you know , guidance on , you know what to do because I wasn't an M T I , the public speaking , the giving the speeches getting to see to mold , they were trainees and seeing them get off that bus as citizens turning , becoming trainees . And then when they graduated become airmen , that was an amazing job every day . I was so excited to be a part of that . And then going over to Pacer Forge , I Major Glover is going to make it even better than what it was . And he has so many great ideas and the great thing about it is he has operational control . So the active duty has let him run to run pace or forge to make it better with the new , um you know , the changing environment where they're changing a lot of the curriculum for this new threat . And major lever is the right person to do it . Those M T I s from the four 33rd are the right airmen to get it , make it happen . Uh Before we conclude this podcast , uh Is there anything else you'd like to add that ? I may have forgotten to ask . No , Jet , you've , this has been amazing . I just want , you know , everyone to know that it's so important to build relationships , making people feel valued that that's what's gonna make them want to come to work to , to be better . Um I embrace ideas . If you have an idea , ask me the question . Um As I walk around to get to know the new members , you know , I'm the new member of the 3/40 . Don't be , don't be scared if I pull you aside and just want to have a conversation with you because I wanna get to know everyone . I can't do it all . But what I ask , um come introduce yourself to me if you see me walking around and I look lost or , you know , not sure where I'm going , pull me aside and just juice yourself and share your story because um as the S C L , I'm here for everyone here . So that's my job . Well , ma'am , thank you again for your time . Thank you . Uh Thank you all for your time and thank you for listening . Be sure to check out more podcasts as we introduce more members of our team . Including our new honorary commanders . Y'all don't want to miss these interviews . As a reminder , you can follow your 3/40 Avengers on social media via Facebook , Twitter , youtube . And as of this year , linkedin , you can also catch up on the latest news across the command on our website at W W W 0.34 F T G dot A F R C dot A F dot Mil from our entire 3/40 Avengers team , I'm Jet and we'll catch up with you anywhere any time .