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Newcomers receive Weasel welcome

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Destinee Sweeney
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  The 20th Force Support Squadron hosted the first Welcome Weasel Commander Breakfast at the Carolina Skies Club and Conference Center, Nov. 20.

The breakfast was part of the new Right Start Welcome Weasels program, which aims to greet newcomers and introduce them to the base and local area.

“The whole point of this event is to bring Airmen and families together to start on a ‘Right Start,’ as Shaw Weasels,” said Maj. Darryl Hebert, 20th FSS commander.

In addition to the breakfast, the program also features both an on-base tour and a briefing as well as a new off-base portion of the tour to introduce the newest Team Shaw members to the local area.

During the meal, new Airmen from U.S. Air Forces Central Command, the 20th Fighter Wing, and active-duty service members stationed at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina, received the opportunity to network with each other and interact with leaders from around base.

Representatives from helping agencies such as the Shaw Key Spouse Program and the Airman and Family Readiness Center were present to help inform individuals about what they offer and how they can help Team Shaw families.

“This is part of what we tell Airmen when we recruit them: when you come in you’re going to be part of a greater, larger family and your first assignment has a lasting impression,” said Hebert. “Unlike most other installations that have a normal Right Start program, this Right Start is all about introducing them to leadership upfront and letting them know how they fit into the larger mission and how Shaw and Sumter fit into taking care of them as Airmen.”

Afterward, newcomers received briefings from the 20th Fighter Wing commander and command chief, covering a variety of topics from Sumter’s local support of the base to the suppression of enemy air defenses mission as well as the values — toughness, courage, character, competence and ownership — and enduring priorities of the wing — Mission, Airmen and Family.

By providing a welcoming event for newcomers, the 20th FSS team continues to support those priorities.

“The people make the mission,” said Claudia Bostic, 20th FSS AFRC community readiness specialist. “If the Airmen don’t feel a part of the mission, if they don’t feel welcomed into the team, then the mission will be degraded.”