BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- For Reserve Citizen Airmen, making career decisions can sometimes feel overwhelming. The effort often requires balancing their civilian and military lives.
Thanks to the new Career Assistance Advisor position at the 307th Bomb Wing, those choices don’t have to be quite as daunting.
Master Sgt. Macord Johnson is serving in the recently reopened role for the 307th Force Support Squadron.
“Generally speaking, my job is to advise Airmen on what their career options are,” said Johnson. “They may already have their mind made up on which route they’d like to take, but if they want help fulfilling their career goals, I’m here to do so.”
The addition of a CAA is part of a larger Air Force Reserve Command concept called The CUBE, said Maj. Jessica Sellers, 307th Force Support Squadron commander.
According to a recent article in Citizen Airman magazine, The CUBE consists of the four experts each providing a critical piece of the manning puzzle and retention efforts: A full time FSS officer, Recruiting, a Civilian Personnel Liaison and a CAA.
“We are excited to have Master Sgt. Johnson as part of our team,” said Sellers. “If our Airmen have bonus, reenlistment, or extension issues, the wing Career Assistance Advisor is here to help.”
A large part of Johnson’s job is helping Reserve Citizen Airman adjust to changes that affect their military careers. If an Airman’s career seems to be stagnating or if their civilian life is impacting their military careers, Johnson said he may be able to offer solutions when the time comes for them to re-enlist.
But Johnson can do more than help with adjustments, he can give insight into areas that can enhance Airmen’s civilian and military careers.
“I’m a source of information on what benefits are available in areas like education, health insurance and especially bonuses they can take advantage of to help get them were they want to go in their career,” he said.
While Johnson’s main duties involve helping Airmen make an informed career choice, his role doesn’t end after they’ve made a decision.
“One of my jobs is to make sure that Airmen’s re-enlistments and bonus actions are processed properly,” said Johnson.
Airmen sometimes re-enlist and don’t realize they were eligible for a signing bonus. Johnson said Airmen in that situation can contact him and get help applying for the missed benefit.
While one of his top priorities is making sure those who are a year away from the end of their contract receive counseling, Johnson is here to help every Airman.
“Usually it’s lower-ranking Airmen that work for senior NCOs, but in my position, I want to flip that concept on its head,” said Johnson. “I want everyone to know that regardless of rank, they can feel free to reach out to me, and I’ll do my best to get them the right answers to their questions.”
Citizen Reserve Airmen seeking assistance can reach Master Sgt. Johnson at 318-529-1922