Airmen inducted as SNCOs at dinner

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chase Hedrick
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Sixteen newly inducted senior non-commissioned officers were honored at a dinner in the Columbus Club on Nov. 1.

The command chief master sergeant for Air University, Chief Master Sgt. Lonnie Slater visited Columbus Air Force Base to speak to the graduates at the dinner.

"Congratulations to those who have achieved the rank of senior NCO. You will not be inducted into anything else in the military," he said. "So when you think about that in a sense you could say have arrived."

Slater said the equivalent to have arriving at the SNCO tier is much like arriving on a return trip from a deployment, with the triumphant welcome before returning to the job.

"I would like to pass on some nuggets I learned that were given to me by my SNCO mentors," said Slater. "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. A good name is the most important achievement in life, and maintaining that good name, will be the hardest achievement you will ever earn. Always be respectful to people, even if you disagree with them. Always say thank you, even if the person was unable or even unwilling to help you. Be careful about those you hang around, my mom used to say you are known by the company you keep. Don't be afraid to stand up for truth and what is right, even if you are standing alone. Listen, more than you speak."

Congratulations to our newest senior non-commissioned officers:

Master Sgt. Dante Arcenal, 14th Force Support Squadron
Tech Sgt. Jason Behrens, 14th Operations Support Squadron
Tech Sgt. Christopher Calo, 14th Medical Support Squadron
Tech Sgt. Ryan Caviness, 14th Medical Operations Squadron
Tech Sgt. Joseph Geiger, 14th OSS
Tech Sgt. Jeremy Lewis, 14th Flying Training Wing
Tech Sgt. Jacob Longest, 14th MDOS
Tech Sgt. Stephanie Mills 332nd Recruiting Squadron
Master Sgt. Thomas Phillips, 332nd RCS
Tech Sgt. William Reynard, 14th FTW
Master Sgt. Maria Rodriguez, 14th MDOS
Master Sgt. Ricky Schriver, 14th Communications Squadron
Tech Sgt. Kimberly Simon, 14th OSS
Tech Sgt. Shane Seelnacht, 14th FTW
Master Sgt. Kenneth Smith, 332nd RCS
Tech Sgt. Drew Spradley, 14th OSS