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Show COMMENTARY The best enlisted leader I've ever met to this day! 2 TIMES fi July 1, 2010 Hilltop ^O pO TtM TtMES Weekly Since 19-lR Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Lee Carter... Standard-Examiner publisher Mary Lou Gorny Hilltop Timei Editor Catherine McNally Hilltop Times Writer Lee Anne Hensley -.,. Hilltop Times Correspondent Deadlines: Editorial and news items are due by noon on the Friday prior to the Thursday print date. To submit news items e-mail hilltoptimes@standard.net or call (801) 625-4273. For Classified Advertising, call (801) 625-4300. For Retail Advertising, call (801) 625-4388. The Hilltop Times is published by Ogden Publishing Corporation, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under, and in compliance with, a Memorandum of Understanding with Hill Air Force Base. The content of the Hilltop Times does not necessarily represent the views of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. Government the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Hill Air Force Base (collectively, the Government). The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Government of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, jnarital status, physical handicap, 'political affiliation or any other Ihonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. COMMENTARY BY LT. COL. DWIGHT HINTZ Commander 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron I 've often told Airmen about Tech. Sgt. (now Chief Master Sgt., Ret.) Jeff Geidner's leadership examples, but I've never written them down. Currently commanding 650 aircraft maintainers, I've had more opportunities to do so than ever before, so when the opportunity came to write this article it made sense to finally put in writing each of the most significant leadership examples my first Air Force "hero" and mentor set for me. This article isn't going to pass any "Three Major Points" guidelines from Professional Military Education. It's just going to come at you straightforward, in the order I remember experiences with the best enlisted leader I've ever met to this day. The maintenance flight chief had given Airman 1st Class Hintz the newcomers' talk and walked him out to the phase docks to meet his dock chief. That first impression is forever burned into my mind. Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey J. Geidner was sitting on a stool, dressed in coveralls, goggles on, a Job Guide in his lap, hydraulic fluid all over his hands, and had two other wet-behind-the-ears Airmen sitting with him under an F-16. He was training them on changing a filter the oldfashioned way— hands-on. The flight chief called to him, so he rolled out from under the jet and wiped fluid off his hands as he walked up to shake my hand. He was about 5'9" and wiry. He had a cocky grin on his face as he walked up, looked up at me and said, "You Hintz? You play any hoops?" Right away there were several things . that impressed me: 1) He was personally training his young Airmen, not having one Lt. Col. Hintz of his senior Airmen, sergeants or staff sergeants do it. 2) He knew who I was before I got there 3) He was into sports with his Airmen and that was going to be fun. One of the first things I noticed about the work area, and the first thing always I remember about it, is Tech. Sgt. Geidner made and posted a placard on the outside of his dock office where the other two phase docks could plainly see it: "WE SET THE STANDARD." As I typed those words just now, my eyes stung with fierce pride planted in me 22 years ago! Yep, that sign like his grin was another indication he was cocky. But he backed it up. He led our dock to sustain a 96 percent plus Quality Assurance pass rate (I scrounged that fact up from my Airman Performance Reports from 1989). The other two docks never came close. He loved to write "ZD" (zero defects) on the phase flow tracker board after QA left every week. It was our team's first indication that we'd done it again — another ZD job. ^j Tech. Sgt. Geidner had what I've come ^ to call a "Top 1 Percent" attitude. I call it f that because he made chief master sergeafit (top 1 percent of all Airmen) and because'11 •' he believed what almost no one you meet in' aircraft maintenance believes. Most F-16 ' ' maintainers are convinced that because the1, jet is pretty beat up by the time it gets to '*'_"• a phased inspection and because it's such'''[' a complex machine, QA can always find ;"v something wrong no matter how hard or :;(JL how many Airmen look it over before QA'-v* inspects it. L" Not Tech. Sgt. Geidner. He inspired us -„> to believe we were good enough so there was actually no way QA would ever find something wrong after we finished our l maintenance and final self-inspections. It ''' just became normal to our team to get ZD N ratings because it was that way when we ; got there and always stayed that way. I do ;' remember clearly one time we failed for * one single piece of Foreign Object Debris oh the whole jet. Our pride was stung and Tech: Sgt. Geidner was ... uh, let's just say he was real mad. The lessons to learn, keep, and pass on: , 1) Dare to believe you can achieve perfection and go after it. You'll get far closer than •%,'• See LEADER I page 7 TEAM HILL IN ACTION Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Standard-Examiner, 332 Standard Way, Ogden, Utah, 84404. Addi1 tional editorial content is provided by various military and civilian wire services and Hill Air Force Base public affairs departments. Call (801) 625-4273 with story ideas or comments, or contact the editor, Mary Lou Gorny, at mgomy@standard.net Call (801) 62S4300 for Classif ied Advertising or (801) 625-4388 fo Retail Advertising. MMH tfti 777-7000 action.line.pa@hill.af.mil When you call or send an e-mail, your comments will be recorded and staffed through the agency responsible for action. Please give your supervisor and chain of command thfe opportunity to wofk with you in'an-"*swering questions and solving groblems before^. calling the^oiorTLine. This will help me better serve your interests. Items of basewide interest be published in the Hilltop Times. Report suspicious activity vis the AFOSI EAGLE EYES program Dial: 777-3056/5057/3058. Wgtch - Report - Protect Force Protection is Our Business - Everyone is a Sensor V i W ]_J -=^3 a « •^s ^s> H ^^H ^CB tt^ 'S Filne:iTip(rem!he Hsolih and Wellne« Center Does stress control your life or are you controlling your stress? Come to the Health and Wellness Center one hour class on Tuesday, July 6, 11 a.m.-noon, and learn new techniques on how to more effectively deal with the daily stressors in your life! Call the HAWC to reserve your place in the class at (801) 7771215. Phone numbers — The base agencies listed can be ;' ' contacted directly if you have a complaint or a problem with their services: Security Forces 777-3056 24-hr. Crisis Information 777-3056 Force Support Squadron 777-4134 Base Restaurants 777-2043 Retirement/Compensation 777-6142 (civilian) Social Actions 777-3516 Employer Relations 777-7129 Military Pay 777-1851 Civilian Pay 777-6246 , Air Force Suggestion ....777-6901 Program Hill Straight Talk..; .....777-9696 IG Complaints . *777-5305 (for appointment) IC Complaints 777-5361 (after hours) Fraud, Waste or Abuse 777-5361 (recording) Loud Noise 1-877-885-9595 (complaints) 75th Medical Group 777-4918 Civil Engineering 777-1856 Hill Pride Hotline ! 777-7433 Public Affairs 777-5333 Military Housing 825-9392 Maintenance Safety Office ; 777-3333 Safety Office Hotline 586-9300 Union .' 777-3257 AFOSI Narcotics Hotline 777-1852 Family Assistance Center 777-3090 (when activated) TODD CROMAR/U.S. Air Force Col. Scott Zobrist (left), 388th Fighter Wing commander, and Col. Nathan Hill, 388th Operations Group commander, hold the guidon at the , Change in Command Ceremony held June 30 in Hangar 37 for the 388th Operations Group. Chief Master Sgt. Greg Blue is the guidon bearer standing behind them. Fighting a different war THINK SAFETY W 's Last DUI: Unit Involved: 75tA> Airmen Against Drinking and Driving provide rides when designated drivers are unavailable. Call 777-1111 to request a ride anytime. Hours of operation: Fridays-Saturdays 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. : " Sundays 9 p.m.-midnight Civil War, and it only lasted three days. Still it is considOgden Air Logistics Center History Office ered a great battle of the war. This may be hard to grasp arfare has changed in comparison to the battles significantly over we have been fighting in Iraq the years and, and Afghanistan. According fortunately for nations and to CNN.com, as of June 28, individuals alike, the trend in 2010, there have been 1,868 the number of casualties is casualties in Afghanistan decreasing. since 2001 and 4,729 deaths " With more than 2,000 land in Iraq since 2003. During the engagements during the Civil Battle of Gettysburg more War, the Battle of Gettysburg men fought and died than in endured mass casualties. any other battle before or afFrom July 1 through July 3, ter in North America. 1863, the Union Soldiers lost The traditions of the past 23,053 out of approximately are carried on through to88,000 men and the Confeder- day though we are fighting a ate Soldiers lost 28,063 out of different war. We no longer approximately 75,000 men. march troops to the battle There was an overall casualty field, line up and charge torate of 31 percent of all the ward one another on horse or men engaged in the Battle on foot armed with muskets. of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg did not end the * See WAR I page 3 JODI HATFIELD Hill's Total 2010 DUIs: 29 TIMOTHY H.O'SULLIVAN Paul Burns at his Gettysburg Home is shown in this photo created and published in July 1863. He is described as the "old hero of Gettysburg," with gun and crutches. The Battle of Gettysburg took place on July 1-3,1863, where more than 51,000 Soldiers died in the Civil \^ar battle from both sides. |