Air Force names 301st FW SNCO best in his career field

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. David Kurle
  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas --  "Humbling," is how one senior NCO in the 301st Operations Support Flight describes his feelings about being named as best in the Air Force.

Senior Master Sgt. Robert Safley, superintendent of the flight's Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE) Section, learned he was the Air Force's 2010 Outstanding Air Reserve Component Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year July 22 and credits his team of 12 Air Force Reservists for the award.

"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have this award," Safley said. "It's this team 100 percent... I owe it all to them."

In addition, he acknowledges his family's patience and understanding for his recognition.

"I owe a lot of this to my wife and kids," he said. "I promised them I wouldn't work 12-hour days but I've worked a lot of 11-hour days since I got here."

Safley arrived at the 301st Fighter Wing in January 2010 but has already led the AFE section through a unit-compliance inspection (UCI) and a deployment to South Korea. Now, his team is preparing for a wing-wide operational readiness inspection (ORI), scheduled in 2012.

"We have to utilize our time effectively to get our ARTs and reservists ready for the ORI," he said. "It really helped us out a lot that we had a UCI last year and were able to get on top of our processes."

The AFE section is responsible for all the equipment F-16 pilots in the 457th Fighter Squadron use to stay alive in flight and in the event they are forced to leave the aircraft. This equipment includes helmets, oxygen masks, anti-g suits, night-vision goggles, parachutes, survival kits, survival vests and an array of other life-sustaining items.

"We take care of everything the pilots need to survive while flying the aircraft," Safley said. "If the pilot has to eject, we inspect, re-pack and maintain all the survival gear."

The section also teaches pilots how to use their survival gear - providing refresher classes on such topics as combat survival, water survival, egress, hanging harness for parachute training and chemical defense.

"AFE is an integral part of our flying operations," said Lt. Col. Kevin Zeller, F-16 pilot and the incoming commander of the 301st OSF. "It's a huge responsibility, which is vital to our combat capability."

"Pilots can fail to hit targets, parts and avionics on airplanes can fail - AFE can never fail," said Col. Bryan cook, who is leaving the OSF commander's position. "AFE is critical. It's our first line and last line of defense."

Cook, who supervised Safley during 2010, said Safley is one of the most outstanding NCOs he's worked with during his career.

"I don't know if there is anybody more deserving of this recognition than him," Cook said. "Obviously, outside agencies are seeing how good he is."

Safley took over the AFE section after it had been without a supervisor for approximately a year. During the subsequent UCI, the AFE section received a superior-team award with no findings from inspectors.

One of Safely's goals during his 23-year career in the Regular Air Force and the Reserve has been to make Chief Master Sergeant.

"I remember being at the MEPPs station in 1988, seeing a chief and thinking, 'wow, I want to get there someday,'" he said.

"[Senior Master Sgt. Safley] has the right qualities, right personality and right dedication to go as far as he wants," Cook said. "Not only in the 301st FW but Air Force Reserve Command."