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Bridging the gap

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jacob T. Stephens
  • 355th Wing Public Affairs
In the daily grind of training and preparing to win the high-end fight, it can be hard to step away and develop the relationship between Airmen and their leadership.
The senior leaders across the 355th Wing realized this and have taken the initiative to approach the issue with Boss and Buddy.
Boss and Buddy is an event held weekly at 3 p.m. at the base community center, where Airmen can socialize and connect with their leadership and other Airmen, to include wing leadership.
“One of the biggest things we [squadron commanders] saw during the Resiliency Tactical Pause is that Airmen want more touchpoints with leadership and peers in a non-mission focused environment,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Casey Wyman, 355th Comptroller Squadron commander.
The program creates new opportunities for communication in a more social environment.
“This event lets us pull ourselves away from the work environment and really connect with people,” said Wyman. “As a squadron commander, you always want to be able to listen to your Airmen, and now we have the chance to step away and do that by talking about whatever they want to talk about.”
The event encourages communication by hosting activities, such as video games and corn hole, to help find common ground for conversation.
“This event has helped me build relationships within my unit without the formalities of the shop,” said Airman 1st Class Ryanna Hooper-Catuga, 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron traffic manager. “It has really been beneficial in making connections to help me grow and get where I want to be.”
It facilitates Airmen to connect with their leadership all the way up their chain of command and get to know those leading them day-to-day.
“In our day-to-day grind, it’s hard to really get to know those leading you,” said Hooper-Catuga. “Boss and Buddy has really allowed me to start getting to know my leadership on a more personal level.”
From Airmen to commanders, everyone impacts the mission and everyone has a role, but sometimes it is beneficial to step out of that role and simply just socialize.
“The Air Force as a whole is talking about how to better connect with everyone,” said Wyman. “It’s not just leadership to Airmen or supervisors to supervisors, it’s everyone. The Air Force is pushing for that development and Boss and Buddy is just one way Davis-Monthan is leading the Air Force in connecting with their Airmen.”
The Air Force, and more specifically Davis-Monthan, is dedicated to its most valuable resource, its people. Boss and Buddy is just one way that the 355th Wing is putting its people first with the mission always.