Excellent Airmen of the 12 months: Grasp Sgt. Michael Galindo 

The Air Pressure’s 12 Excellent Airmen of the 12 months for 2023 might be formally acknowledged at AFA’s Air, Area & Cyber Convention from Sept. 11-13 in Nationwide Harbor, Md. Air & Area Forces Journal is highlighting one every weekday from now till the convention begins. As we speak, we honor Grasp Sgt. Michael Galindo, Chief of Weapons and Ways with the 502nd Safety Forces Group at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.

Beforehand the operations superintendent for the 324th Coaching Squadron at Lackland Air Pressure Base, Galindo led the profitable commencement of 328 Air Pressure and Guardian flights. He had the chance to function the squadron’s senior enlisted chief to educate, mentor, and prepare NCOs and senior NCOs as Navy Coaching Instructors (MTI).

“[We] developed their elementary abilities: management, time administration, teacher proficiency, teachers, all inside a difficult, high-paced setting,” Galindo stated.

In one other interim SEL function in 2022, Galindo oversaw the security and safety of 660,000 guests throughout 5 base occasions at Randolph, Lackland, and Fort Sam Houston, together with one which was the biggest air present in Texas historical past. He coordinated the occasions’ security and safety forces with Defenders in any respect three installations.

Galindo additionally oversaw two flights of DAF civilians, Airmen, and Troopers by way of 338 felony responses at Fort Sam Houston, Brooke Military Medical Heart, and Camp Bullis. The hassle was the biggest regulation enforcement mission within the Air Pressure.

“We additionally present bailiff duties for among the instances which can be concerned and which can be occurring there,” Galindo stated. “[And] we did a brand new integration with the native faculty on base for energetic shooters. So, we constructed a fairly good partnership with them and began kicking off some coaching for not solely our Defenders, but in addition the workers that works there as properly.”

When he thinks about his time filling in as a senior enlisted chief, Galindo stated the sturdy religion in his friends is what made the duty a simple one.

“All of us labored properly collectively. It wasn’t too advanced,” he stated. “I most likely received fortunate with some nice groups and a few good personalities throughout the groups, and a few nice attitudes who have been prepared to proceed to get the mission [done]. All of us handle each other.”

Galindo not too long ago established the primary regulation enforcement-focused Weapons and Ways Part for the 502nd Safety Forces Group. The part conducts felony intelligence evaluation, integrates exterior stakeholders with the squadron, and creates growth alternatives for round 900 Defenders—and with greater than a decade of expertise in safety forces, an MTI certification, and his wealth of expertise as a pacesetter, Galindo embodies the proper Airmen for the job as part chief.

“Issues are continually evolving, and we have now to proceed to adapt,” Galindo stated. “So one of many issues that my commander has charged the Weapon and Ways Part, my part, with continues to be attempting to nonetheless discovering these revolutionary options … to unravel these advanced issues—[technology] helps enhance the effectivity of the group for us to concentrate on our duties elsewhere.”

The Excellent Airman of the 12 months award acknowledges Galindo as a mannequin for Air Pressure management, a trait Galindo credit to the chiefs who’ve guided him by way of his profession. He named Chief Grasp Sgt. Nicole Hicks as an particularly inspirational chief who helped him develop from an NCO tactician into an NCO supervisor.

“They are saying you’ll be able to see farther by standing on the shoulders of giants,” Galindo stated. “[I’ve had] numerous nice individuals in my corners and simply been given numerous alternatives to work with nice groups and nice energies and simply nice management … numerous my success is due to the relationships I’ve had with senior leaders, my friends, my Airmen, and NCOs.”

Meet the opposite Excellent Airmen of the 12 months for 2023 under: