Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston –
It’s a little after 7:30 a.m. and the stampede has finally
cleared the hallways. Finally, a moment of silence, the first since arriving to
work three hours prior. The five-story building is nearly desolate now, but a
multitude of paperwork and tasks remain to be done before the 800-plus military
students return from class in the afternoon.
Such is the life of a military training leader at the 59th
Training Group, the Air Force component at the Medical Education and Training
Campus on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. The tri-service campus
offers more than 50 medical programs and graduates about 21,000 enlisted
students annually.
These MTLs provide administrative care and Air Force
instruction to the second largest group of technical training students in Air
Education and Training Command, second only to security forces.
Nearly all Air Force enlisted medics come through the unit.
Some stay only a month, while others may be assigned to METC for up to a year.
The group houses three squadrons with up to 1,200 Airmen,
all students from 16 different Air Force career specialties. Remarkably, there
are only 24 MTLs in the unit, and they are responsible for the more than 5,500
Airmen who navigate the hallways every year.
“Most of us never had to supervise a large number of Airmen
before, so coming here is a new challenge,” said Staff Sgt. Britni Hill, 59th
TRG MTL.
Particularly because the tri-service training environment
makes it extremely important to instill military bearing, and customs and
courtesies early on in these Airmen’s careers, Hill said.
Hill, who was a security forces specialist before taking on
the special duty assignment as an MTL, said being in this unique training
environment is very different from her previous experience.
“Oftentimes, it’s necessary to explain why things differ
between the services instead of just barking orders,” she said.
Another MTL, a native of the Philippines, said before his
Air Force career began, he had to work hard to meet standards.
“I was in the delayed enlistment program for more than six
months because I had to lose weight before going to basic training,” said Staff
Sgt. Mark Visita. “Later, I dropped another 60 pounds. Since then, fitness has
been a huge part of my life.”
Visita now leads physical training sessions and promotes
exceeding the standards among the students.
“It’s a rewarding experience; I wouldn’t trade it for the
world,” Visita said. “But even when enforcing standards, it’s important to be
aware of factors that might be causing someone to deviate. You have to be
mindful that even as a disciplinary figure, you’re also the mentor.”
It’s not uncommon to be counseling someone when they mention
that they are going through tough times, like the loss of a parent or sibling.
Some may even be going through a divorce, he added.
It’s late in the afternoon now. Dozens of counseling
sessions have been administered and stacks of paperwork have been tended to. As
the lights go off, other MTLs get ready for the night shift. At this 24-hour
operation, there are always MTLs available to tend to the next generation of
warrior medics.