JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
It’s Mission Monday. Meet Ed Shannon, a public affairs specialist at Headquarters Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
Shannon conducts reviews of unit public affairs self-assessments at Air Force wing and Space Force Delta level and below at more than 100 units around the world. He then uses that data for trend analysis and shares results with units and their major commands. He also provides inspection and assessment training across the career field.
We asked the Midwest City, Oklahoma, native to tell us more about himself and his work for the Department of the Air Force.
What do you love about your job?
I work with and support amazing and talented people in our career field, and for an organization that positively impacts Air and Space Force missions.
When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?
AFIMSC and self-assessments and inspections are often misunderstood by the people with whom I interact. My job gives me direct access and opportunities to share AFIMSC’s role while helping people in our under-resourced career field to conduct effective and efficient self-assessments.
Why are you and your team important to the Air Force and Space Force enterprise and your customers?
We execute programs previously managed at nine active duty major commands and have become the face for the career field on these programs.
Describe a project or event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:
I’m on a team with the Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Secretary of the Air Force PA and Air Force Research Laboratory PA to develop a replacement for the Public Affairs Information Review System. The tool will expedite the review of material intended for public release.
How does what you do support AFIMSC’s strategic priorities?
The programs I manage definitely pursue organizational and career field excellence and increase the lethality and readiness of our units. I take great pride in our transparency and availability to help public affairs specialists provide the best PA capabilities they can for their commanders, units and Air and Space Forces. Additionally, I am an AFIMSC face to our career field and use opportunities from managing these programs to communicate AFIMSC’s important mission and purpose.
Is there anything else you’d like to add that might help people understand the importance of what you do for the DAF?
I identify strong performances and best practices within the career field and help units and major commands pinpoint areas for units to improve public affairs capabilities.