MTANG Senior NCO of the Year attends ELS

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson
  • 120th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office
GREAT FALLS, Mont. --  The Montana Air National Guard Senior Non-commissioned Officer of the Year attended the Air National Guard Enlisted Leadership Symposium held at Camp Dawson, West Virginia, Aug. 26-28.

120th Airlift Wing C-130 Hercules Crew Chief, Master Sgt. Jeremy Marn, joined with over 400 of his fellow Airmen from across the nation to learn management and leadership skills during the three days of professional development.

Marn learned of his selection while attending a school in Savannah, Georgia. 120th Airlift Wing Command Chief Master Sgt. Steven Lynch called him personally to ask if he would be interested in attending the prestigious event.

"It was an honor to be selected," said Marn. "The caliber of leadership that was speaking at it was something that I'm not usually exposed to."

Marn said the Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, Chief Master Sgt. James Cody, and the Command Chief Master Sgt. for the Air National Guard, Chief Master Sgt. James Hotaling, briefed the audience during the event.

Marn said that briefings were followed by question and answer periods so Airmen could interact with the speakers on the topics presented.

A section of the symposium dedicated to resiliency made the biggest impression on Marn. He said this training allowed audience members to look at hardships differently.

"Don't be a victim, be a victor as far as dealing with adversity," Marn said. "There's always a way to fix the problem."

Marn has returned back to work and is using many of the leadership concepts that were presented during the symposium.

He now carries in his pocket Air Force Instruction 36-2618, "The Enlisted Force Structure," also referred to as "the little brown book," and looks to it for guidance on the roles and responsibilities of the enlisted force.

"We spent a whole day on the enlisted force structure," Marn said. "It opened my eyes basically to different leadership styles and becoming a better leader," Marn said.

In addition to attending leadership and management seminars, Marn participated in a combat dining out where he was able to visit one-on-one with Hotaling.