Airman of the Week: Master Sgt. John Willard

  • Published
  • By 436th Airlift Wing
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  

Name/rank: Master Sgt. John Willard

Squadron: 436th Airlift Wing Safety Office

Job description: Flight safety NCO

Previous assignments: Aircraft maintenance

Dream assignment and why: Military liaison to MotoGP motorcycling championship

Family: My wife; Michelle; and children, Jack, Sammye, Lexi, Jenny and Chloe.

Favorite movie: "The Patriot"

Favorite food: All meat

Favorite book: Anything with pictures -- just kidding. My favorite is "Twist of the Wrist II" by Keith Code.

Who inspires you? My family inspires me to be a better person. I want to be worthy of the unconditional love my wife and kids give so freely.

Have you been deployed? What was your best experience and why? I had the opportunity to deploy as an air combat advisor to the Iraqi Air force. As a Coalition Air Force Transition Team member, we received some heavy-duty combat weapons training, aggressive driving training and a crash-course in Arabic language and culture. Most times, we worked with a translator and 15 to 20 Iraqi officers and warrant officers. While teaching the Iraqis seven different air plane and helicopter systems across six Air Force Specialty Codes during the day, our team also built up the coalition side of the forward operating base during our "off" hours. Some of the most valuable work Air force members do is done during deployment because we make some areas of the world a little better. My hope is that one of the Iraqis I trained will one day be in a position of influence and thinks, 'John Willard was pretty cool - maybe America is pretty cool too.'

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Maybe helping run a family Bed and Breakfast on Hawaii's big island along the Kona coast. Maybe flying some helicopter tours, and if that works out, I'll have to build a motorcycle track there too.

Master Sgt. John Willard came to the wing safety office from the 436th Maintenance Group in September of 2010. His C-5 Galaxy crew chief experience has proven invaluable to this office. Willard is our liaison with the base Bird/Aircraft Strike Hazard contractor and is integral to the success of this extremely important safety program. He is also an avid motorcycle rider who has taken on the responsibility for the Motorcycle Safety Program at Dover Air Force Base, Del. His vision and motivation to see the program succeed is absolutely the reason the Motorcycle Safety Program here has won the Air Mobility Command Motorcycle Safety Program of the Year for four straight years. Look for him around the base and thank him for his efforts -- he is devoted to your safety. I can say, without a doubt, Willard is one of the finest Senior NCOs I've ever known!
- Lt. Col. Jim DeHaan
Chief of Wing Safety