New Command Chief emphasizes care of people

  • Published
  • By J.C. Corcoran
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  Getting to know a lot of new faces might be considered, by some people, a daunting aspect of a new job.

For the Electronic Systems Center and 66th Air Base Wing new command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Karen McCoy, getting to know 9,000 new people - and ensuring they know her -- is much more than just a part of her job - it is her job.

"I like to get around -- visiting and meeting the people," said the chief who serves the men and women of ESC and its geographically separated units around the country. "I want them to get to know who I am and build a lasting rapport regardless of their rank or position."

Since her arrival she has "hit the ground running," having visited several of the units at Hanscom. She also has plans to visit various GSUs before the December holidays to ensure, "they know who I am and know they are part of ESC," she said.

According to Chief McCoy, her number one responsibility is to "take care of the people of ESC."

The command chief wants it to be known that she is here for everyone -- from the youngest Airmen to the most senior leaders.

"I want them to know that if they need anything -- whether it's advice or [if they] just have a question -- that I'm just a phone call away," she said. "If they need help and have a problem, I want to help to get it resolved, so that they can get back to work minus those outside pressures."

One of Chief McCoy's goals is to continue the work started by her predecessor, Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Sirois, and Hanscom's leaders. Chief McCoy plans to continue to improve sponsorship, promote education among Airmen and address quality of life issues, to include the dormitories, where many Hanscom Airmen spend their off-duty hours.

For newcomers to ESC, Chief McCoy said their first priority should be to get acclimated to the base. "Getting to know their supervisors and their chain of command is important. They need to focus on their job training and work to accomplish their [Career Development Courses] and prepare for their tests," she said.

"After that, they should formulate their goals and decide where they see themselves in the future. I hope that education is a part of that," said the chief who holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Organizational Management and Human Resources.

"It's not all about just filling a block, but seeking self-improvement," she said.

Taking care of her fellow wingmen is nothing new to Chief McCoy, whose background is in the medical services career field, specifically in surgical services.

An honor graduate from the Surgical Services Technical Training school at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, she lists her experience there as one of the most rewarding of her career so far.

"I didn't know how the job was going to be," Chief McCoy said. "I knew it was helping people who came (to the hospital) either injured or hurting and went home to enjoy a better quality of life. That was most rewarding to me."

Now the Derry, N.H., native, who has served in the Air Force for 22 years, plans to put that same sort of attention to care into her duties as Command Chief.

"I'm not one to sit around and dust off my chair," she said.

One area she said she will particularly concentrate on is ensuring deploying Airmen are focused and prepared to go when called upon.

This includes making sure the people at home station are taking care of the families of deployed Airmen in their absence, she said.

Her message to the men and women of ESC is that she cares about each and every one of them.

"They are doing important work for our country and the Air Force and I thank them for everything they do," she said.