Personnel directorate helps Airmen focus on the mission

  • Published
  • By Shawn J. Jones
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, New Jersey --  

One team within the Air Force Expeditionary Center is dedicated to managing personnel, training, and administrative tasks, allowing fellow Airmen to focus on their mission.

The A1 directorate serves as the commander's support staff, overseeing these areas within the center and coordinating with other agencies to ensure Airmen are ready when their nation calls.

A1 director Capt. Erik Santos said that if the center’s Airmen had to handle all their administrative and personnel responsibilities on their own, it would be a major distraction.

“Our main goal is to take care of the Expeditionary Center staff so they can focus on the mission,” Santos says.

The A1 office is responsible for things like processing in-coming and out-going staff members, managing evaluations and awards, and handling personnel transitions, such as re-enlistments and retirements. They also help with disciplinary actions, promotions, and preparing important documents for senior leaders to review. Through their work, A1 ensures the Expeditionary Center is fully staffed and ready to complete its mission, while also making sure personnel receive the support they need. 

Santos describes his team’s work environment as a place where no two days are the same. The team often answers specific questions that require coordination with outside organizations and agencies as well as consulting various Air Force instructions. 

"Every day is unique to our office," Santos said. "But that’s what helps us grow as professionals and serve our customers better." 

The A1 team was recently recognized for their efforts, earning the Expeditionary Center’s award Team of the Quarter for the period of April-June. In addition to the team awards, Santos was named the Company Grade Officer of the Quarter, and one of his teammates, Tech. Sgt. Ian Tracy earned the Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter award. 

The team achieved several notable accomplishments this quarter. One of which was implementing a web-based tracker to streamline the process of awarding Legion of Merit decorations across the entire Expeditionary Center enterprise, which includes 14,000 Airmen stationed in 24 countries. The team also led a hurricane-response exercise that identified and corrected several inefficiencies in personnel tracking and communication during emergency situations. 

The team of six Airmen has more than 60 years of combined experience, but Santos said what really sets them apart is their dedication to their customers.  

"We pride ourselves on going above and beyond to make sure people are taken care of,” he said. "If we take care of the staff, the recognition follows naturally.” 

Brad Johnson, the center’s Director of Staff, said he credits the A1 team’s success to their competency and attitude.

 "Their expertise is clear-cut as they deliver on the high expectations befitting a 2-star command headquarters, masterfully hurdling the major challenges while never taking eyes off routine, day-to-day tasks," Johnson said. "As a team and as individual Airmen, they are highly skilled, professional, and humble, and we are fortunate to have them on our staff.”

 Santos also said that the awards they’ve received reflect the teamwork across the Expeditionary Center.

 

"We couldn’t achieve these honors without the support of the EC family," he says. "The recognition really shows everyone’s teamwork."