Academy NCO recognized as 386th AEW 'Rock Solid Warrior'

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SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The NCO in charge of customer service for the Academy's Department of Personnel was named the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing's "Rock Solid Warrior" for the week of May 17-21.

Tech. Sgt. Leonida Dotson is deployed to the 586th Air Expeditionary Group, Task Force Gateway, as the NCOIC of intra-theater operations.

The 386th AEW Public Affairs office conducted a question-and-answer session with Sergeant Dotson:

How do you support the mission here?

The Air Force accepted the challenge from the Army to help support their deployment mission. This tasking was previously categorized as an "in lieu of" tasking, and is now referred to as a "joint expeditionary tasking"; an Army tasking filled by an Air Force member. We are located all over the theater in Iraq and Afghanistan and also now here in Southwest Asia. I am proud to be a JET Airman, the first to be assigned to the Army side of this base.

In the personnel career field, our normal deployment taskings are to serve with a Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team that fulfills Air Force missions. Here, our mission is to ensure we move people where they need to go, whether it is for a redeployment, deployment or ... rest and relaxation.

I am absolutely grateful for the experience of being assigned here. The job has been quite fulfilling. In six months, I helped move than120,000 personnel, and I don't think I would have been able to understand the impact of the Army's mission had I been deployed elsewhere.

How many times have you deployed, and what makes this deployment unique?

This is my second deployment. It is unique because it is an Army tasking. We live with (Soldiers); our roommates are in the Army. I have made many friends who are in the Army, and I would never trade the experience I have gained from this deployment.

We arrived here in December 2009 with a team consisting of 11 Airmen, who were assigned to four different work centers within the Theater Gateway. The Army has certainly outnumbered us, but we have a great working relationship with them. We really are one team, focused to accomplish one common mission.

How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base?

At home station, I am assigned to the Air Force Academy as the Cadet Personnel Division NCOIC. Our mission there is unique as well. We serve more than 4,000 cadets with their personnel needs. From November to August, we are busy preparing to graduate seniors and inprocess 1,400 freshmen cadets.

Here, my job is to ensure rest and relaxation returnees get back to their deployed locations as soon as possible. I work with various teams, linked to successfully move thousands of passengers. It is the meat and potatoes of the Gateway, and I'm honored to work in the capacity as the NCOIC for this work center.

Recently, we were presented with an enormous challenge when flights from Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, were rerouted to us and the volcano in Iceland erupted. The whole Gateway faced the challenge head-on, and we were successful in moving thousands of passengers all over the theater. I can't believe I was a part of this team. It was exhilarating.