MASTER SERGEANT

Senior Noncommissioned Officers: This tier preserves our legacy and heritage by focusing on leading teams and shaping the future force. The ranks consist of Master Sergeant (MSgt), Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt), and Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt). As Senior Noncommissioned Officers progress in this tier, they actively integrate subordinates’ talents, skills, and abilities with other teams to effectively accomplish the mission. Additionally, they seek joint and interagency professional development opportunities to build partnership capacity. Senior Noncommissioned Officers should be highly proficient at the Airman Leadership Qualities and have a comprehensive knowledge of the foundational competencies operating at the advanced and expert levels. All Senior Noncommissioned Officers mentor their subordinates and peers through continual education, training, and experience to develop ready and disciplined teams. They also play a unique and critical role in developing and advising officers to lead teams successfully.

Master Sergeant (MSgt): Technical experts that begin transitioning from first-line supervisors and trainers to leaders of teams with operational competence and overall effectiveness. This rank carries significantly increased responsibilities and requires a broad perspective and greater leadership and management skills. MSgts are expected to accomplish the mission through the employment of teams by merging subordinates’ talents, skills, and resources with other teams’ functions. MSgts must complete an associate degree or higher from a nationally or regionally accredited academic institution, if not already earned, to become eligible for promotion to SMSgt. MSgts continue their professional development through functional opportunities, as well as Air Force and Joint Enlisted Professional Military Education. (AFH 36-2618, para 3.1.3.1)

Responsibilities of all Senior Noncommissioned Officers: In addition to meeting all Junior Enlisted Airmen and Noncommissioned Officers responsibilities, Senior Noncommissioned Officers responsibilities include:

Developing Self:

  • Dedicate time to develop a greater understanding of leadership, operational, and managerial concepts and advance communication skills to reach diverse audiences, connecting concepts.

  • Leverage appropriate decision-making techniques by identifying the root cause, involving others, and gathering information, then rationally weigh all information in the decision-making process.

  • Respond proactively to unexpected or ambiguous situations, opportunities, or risks. In static environments, find and implement constructive methods to exercise flexibility.

  • Show self-control by remaining visibly calm in stressful situations when others are not, control emotions or other stress, and take action to respond constructively to the source of the problems.

Developing Others:

  • Contribute to a professional climate and culture by ensuring their teams understand leadership orders/clarifying expectations as well as identifying, highlighting, and correcting behaviors that might detract from a professional climate and culture.

  • Empower Noncommissioned Officers and maintain harmony between caring for people and mission execution.

  • Support professional development by sharing knowledge and experience and enforcing standards to best meet the organization’s mission requirements. Build and maintain professional relationships, striving to create effective leadership teams.

  • Continue to develop themselves and their subordinates through available education, leadership seminars, and content provided through senior leaders’ respective official libraries.

Developing Ideas:

  • Reframe issues to evaluate them from different perspectives and identify useful relationships among complex data from unrelated sources.

  • Create a sense of urgency to overcome inaction and take steps to develop trust among the various parties. Teach and influence tactics and strategies to others.

Developing Organizations:

  • Be an active and visible leader to effectively cultivate a climate of inclusion and excellence.

  • Study leaders’ decisions to understand their rationale and goals. Translate and communicate tasks and responsibilities up and down the chain of command in order to facilitate mission accomplishment. Foster unit cohesion, connectedness, and belonging as a team.

  • Leverage personal experience/knowledge to effectively accomplish and advance the mission.

  • Understand, manage, and explain manning health and capabilities based on unit requirements and manpower documents. Help commanders best balance risk to mission and risk to force.

  • Work to improve resource management (to include personnel, manpower, facilities, funding) in organizations, teach and encourage others to do the same.

  • Understand and be prepared to advocate for both current and future fiscal budget requirements.

  • Define how your organization/specialty coordinates with partners to execute the mission. Establish and expand relationships to advance priorities and connect teams to solve problems.

  • Understand and educate your team on how to respond, support events during deployments and emerging situations. Foster enduring team readiness for wartime actions and decisions.

Focus Areas: primary goal of those in the junior enlisted tier is mission accomplishment.

  • Senior NCO Academy (SNCOA)

  • Pursue higher level education (Bachelor’s degree or above)

  • Apply for NGB Enlisted Development Opportunities (MVA 999) – Sister Service Senior NCO Academy, INLEAD

  • Complete an Individual Development Plan each year

  • Request 360 degree & supervisors feedback through myVector (via AF Portal)

  • Improve your strategic IQ by reviewing files to include the National Defense Strategy, CNGB Posture Statement, National Intelligence Reports to determine how your role fits into the big picture.

  • Complete SEJPME I and SEJPME II (CAC Enabled)

  • Complete Defense Support of Civil Agencies (DSCA) Phase I (CAC Enabled)

  • Complete FEMA

  • Attend ANG Contemporary Base Issues (CBI) Course

  • Attend ANG SNCO Enhancement Course (CAC Enabled)

Develop Leadership and Supervisory Skills

  • NCOIC, Project Officer, Flight Chief, Section Superintendent

  • Consider First Sergeant, ADOS Tour, Stat Tour, Deployment

  • Supervise and/or mentor two or more Airman

  • Rater (ACA/EPR) for two or more Airman

  • Volunteer for Additional Duties to learn new skills

  • Panel member for mock board

  • Guide your Airmen through and support their Individual Development Plan

  • Create an Official Air Force Biography

Foundational Knowledge

MT Leadership, Mission, History and State Partnership Program (SPP):

Key Air Force Systems to Know: (CAC Enabled)

  • Air Force Portal – one-stop to access Air Force and ANG sites and resources.

  • MTANG SharePoint - one-stop access to MTANG

  • AROWS (Chrome or Edge) - to access and track your orders

  • DTS - create travel authorizations and travel vouchers

  • MilConnect – update personal information and your SGLI

  • myPay – pull your Leave and Earning Statement (LES), setup Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), etc.

  • vMPF – pull RIP, PCARS, update vRED

  • myLearning -Training records, Computer Based Training

  • PRDA - Virtual Personnel Services Center, access to military personnel records, EPRs, Orders, Decorations, etc

Promote Organizational Culture:

  • Participate in squadron, group, wing, and community events and activities (i.e., Junior Enlisted Council JEC, Diversity and Inclusion, Honor Guard, Wing Innovation and Community Action Team (CAT))

  • Professional Organizations: EANGUS, Air Force Association (AFA), AF Seargeants Association (AFSA), etc.

  • Professionalism, Attitude, Work Ethic, Comradery Maintain Mission Readiness: fitness assessment, medical and dental, mobility, AFSC Upgrade Training

  • Volunteer for Additional Duties to learn new skills

  • Promotion Board member at Group level, and sit as recorder on State Top 3 Board

WAYS TO DEVELOP YOURSELF