SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SC -- The Weasel of the Week series asks Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, heroes, experts and all-around great Airmen to share their likes, dislikes, Air Force spirit and personalities. We sat down with Senior Airman Emileigh Tucker, 55th Fighter Squadron aviation resource manager, to get to know her. Tucker coordinates and schedules training and maintenance for the 55th FS, and is currently working to obtain her Community College of the Air Force degree, and develop a 20th Fighter Wing mentorship program.
Please explain your career field and job.
I am an aviation resource manager. We basically make sure pilots are legal to fly. We audit their flight records to makes sure their paperwork is correct, aeronautical orders are current and ensure they are being paid right.
How do you affect the wing’s mission capabilities?
We play a lot into how the flying hour program operates. We make sure the pilots meet their required flying time each month. If they don’t fly and don’t meet the required hours it can affect the mission. If they don’t meet all the hours they aren’t qualified to fly and we don’t have as many pilots.
What inspires you to strive and excel at your job?
I was assigned a troop recently; I feel he needs somebody to look up to so I try to do my best. I make sure I’m coming to work on time and doing what I’m supposed to do. I try not to get distracted and keep a positive attitude so he has someone to look up to.
What advice do you have for people coming into your career field?
Be ready to learn. If you get into a fighter squadron, like here, be ready with your P’s and Q’s. It’s really fast-paced here, people don’t usually expect that straight out of tech school, so just be ready to learn. Also, it’s really fun.
What is your proudest moment since you arrived here?
My proudest moment was being able to learn the ins and outs of being here. You really feel like you’re a part of something (special) here, so anytime I’m working the front desk I just feel proud to be sitting there.
How do you define success and how does this definition of success help you succeed in your career field?
I look for mentors who can help me, so I can have an idea of how I should be and so I can look forward to my future. I don’t want to mess up now and not be able to meet my goals.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years I want to have made technical sergeant and then have commissioned.
Do you know what you want your degree to be in?
Right now I’m focused on legal studies but I think I’m going to switch to medical.
What is one change you wish you could make to the Air Force or your career field?
I wish the career field would be more open-minded. Knowing we are going to be in a back office, means there are going to be a lot of personalities clashing, so I wish the Airmen coming into it would have more of an open mind.
What is one thing you wish people knew about your job?
That we don’t just sit around and do nothing. There is a lot of back office stuff that people don’t always see us doing. All they see is us talking on the radio at the desk, but they don’t see what we do behind the scenes that makes everything happen.
What is one thing that is taken for granted about your job?
They think that we don’t affect any day-to-day things, but if it wasn’t for this job the pilots wouldn’t be able to fly because nobody would be tracking all their currencies.
What impact have you made in your career field and at this base?
Mentoring the new Airman who recently got here about a month ago has changed my whole outlook on everything. I went from being an Airman to one day having a troop and having to lead him. I see that as making an impact.
What is one thing that is taken for granted about your job?
They think that we don’t affect any day-to-day things, but if it wasn’t for this job the pilots wouldn’t be able to fly because nobody would be tracking all their currencies.
What impact have you made in your career field and at this base?
Mentoring the new Airman who recently got here about a month ago has changed my whole outlook on everything. I went from being an Airman to one day having a troop and having to lead him. I see that as making an impact.