Stellar Airman: From basic trainee to officer training school selectee in three years

Published Feb. 4, 2013
By Capt. Neil Samson
Headquarters, Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- At the three-year mark, when some Air Force members consider what's the next for them in their career path, an airman from AMC's Intelligence directorate flew down the fast track from basic trainee to officer training school selectee in the same amount of time.

Along the way, Senior Airman Matthew Welch accrued all accolades possible: basic military training honor graduate, technical training school Air Education and Training Command Commander's Award, Airman of the Quarter, and the John L. Levitow Award at Airman Leadership School. Currently, as a staff sergeant selectee and a recent degree recipient from the Community College of the Air Force, the unit support intelligence analyst in the AMC Intelligence Unit Support Branch earned selection to officer training school in March.

"I entered active duty March 2010, so I will hit three years this March," said Welch. "Scott AFB is my first assignment and I arrived two years ago, so this is all I know outside the training environment."

Welch said he wasn't always on the fast track and admitted overcoming complacency at times when he was an airman first class, but an inspirational supervisor and Welch's goal-oriented nature acted as catalysts for staying on track and for his below-the-zone promotion.

"I had a really great supervisor, Tech. Sgt. Realegeno, who told me one day that I had to get my stuff straight," said Welch. "From that day, he kicked me in the butt and helped me set goals and work hard for it."

"He had a lot of potential, but needed some encouragement to steer him in the right path," said Tech. Sgt. Francisco Realegeno, 571st Mission Support Advisory Squadron air advisor and in Welch's case, an Airman advisor. "When I was his supervisor, he excelled at everything he did, and I expect the best out of him at all times; I am confident he will do great at his next career as an officer."

Welch's goal-oriented nature to win awards and below-the-zone promotions isn't due to his individual motivations or lone desire to achieve stellar enlisted performance reports, but he is motivated by an unrelenting loyalty to his team.

"Airman Welch demonstrates impeccable character, talent and intellect," said Lt Col Wiley Barnes, AMC Air Intelligence Squadron commander. "He is respected by his peers and by the NCO's and officers in our directorate. He makes my team better every day!"

"Coming from a sports background, I like how the Air Force emphasizes the team concept," said Welch. "Team success is always what I strive for in a training or work environment, whether it is to get the team out of work early or to get a task done efficiently and with quality."

"The Air Force team is more about being a family as you get to know each other and rely on each other," said Welch. "People rely on you and if you don't do your job, either someone else isn't going to have that critical piece of information they need or a teammate is going to end up picking up your slack."

Welch credits his change in career path goals and accomplishments in the Air Force to his parents, who told him to go to school for something he enjoyed.

Originally working in the nutrition field after graduation from nutrition school, he decided not to pursue this field of work for an American history degree at the University of Buffalo, where he earned his bachelor's degree prior to entering active duty.

"I enjoy the amount of research and writing involved in the history field and that is what I have been currently doing since I pursued a history degree," said Welch. "The nature of work involved in history is why I love intelligence -- I love pulling that thread and learning new things through research and writing."

The level of quality and enjoyment he applies to his work is key. "Anything I do, I try to do the best at it because it is associated with my name and anything I do wants to have the word 'quality' associated with it," said Welch.

Welch's work was recently the key to putting together the puzzle to identifying new enemy tactics, techniques and procedures at an forward operating base in Afghanistan that led senior leaders to bolster security, investigation, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets in that area of responsibility.

As Welch's analyst duties put intelligence puzzle pieces together, the pieces of his career puzzle have fallen into place so far. His commander believes more of those pieces will fit nicely for Welch as an officer.

"The Air Force's brightest future includes Matt Welch as an officer," said Barnes. "Welch is a role model of Air Force core values."