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Shaw Airmen share their Air Force careers

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Laura L. Valentine
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Five Airmen from the 20th Fighter Wing shared their specific skill sets and careers to help provide South Carolina high school students insight to a possible Air Force career, here Dec. 3.

The Airmen were interviewed by Rebecca Bazzle, Microburst Learning creative director, and Julie Sharpe, Microburst Learning LMS administrator and digital designer.

Microburst Learning is a Columbia, S.C., company which creates and provides e-learning opportunities for South Carolina high school students preparing for the transition to life after school.

Senior Airmen Christopher Brown and Daniel Tubbs, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal journeymen, and Airman 1st Class Adrian McCoy, 20th CES EOD apprentice, shared daily and specialized tasks pertaining to EOD.

Staff Sgt. Benjamin Mockovciak and Senior Airman Matthew Katz, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Shooters Aircraft Maintenance Unit tactical aircraft maintainers, explained the realm of maintaining the F-16 Fighting Falcons.

On-camera interviews and photographs captured of the Airmen in their work environments will be used to create "MicroCareerBursts," interactive job shadows that allow students to explore career options that might not otherwise be accessible to them.

"Since EOD is a voluntary career field," said Brown, "it's not for everybody. Being able to share this information with a younger generation helps fill the boots of those who need to be replaced, just as I replaced the people before me."

The company began creating MicroCareerBursts as a result of the South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act which requires students to complete job shadow experiences.

"If one high school student joins the Air Force because of this production," said Brown, "I'm doing a good job, the right thing, and being a role model to the community."

At the start of 2014, more than 80 MicroCareerBursts will be available to students, featuring careers in construction, entrepreneurship, music or visual arts, information technology based careers, healthcare and more.

"We have always wanted to create Military MicroCareerBursts," said Bazzle. "We recently did a virtual career fair at a school where nearly 40 percent of the students were interested in joining the military. The interest from the students is there and we hope to provide a great recruiting tool for military."

With more than 20 years of experience among the Airmen, they not only shared job responsibilities, but also their passion for their Air Force careers.

"I love maintaining the airplanes," said Katz. "I can't think of anything more fulfilling than knowing that I put those airplanes in the sky and knowing their result is a direct result of what I do. It's a very fulfilling job."