The Art of Influence.

For 12 years of my life, I had the privilege of wearing the stripes of an Air Force airman.  By the time I finished my career as an E6 Technical Sergeant, I had the distinct privilege of learning how to be a leader from some of the most distinguished and honorable military leaders that anyone could have asked for. 

Sgt. Michael Kovach drilled into my head on almost a daily basis that the two fundamental elements of leadership are the mission and the people who accomplish the mission.  Under his leadership, I learned that being a leader was more than managing personnel, but leadership was the art of influencing people.  I learned that a leader that is willing to engage in a mission and fight beside those who they lead, instead of just enforcing policy and sitting behind a desk, are the leaders that troops will give 100% for. 

Sgt Ronald Crowl also taught me some valuable lessons in leadership.  He showed me that knowledge is power.  The more you know about the job you are doing, allows you the opportunity to share that knowledge and power with those that work for you.  This makes the team stronger and allows each person to diversify their portfolios so that it makes them more marketable and a bigger asset. 

Sgt Freddie Eckert showed me that integrity, pride in appearance, and pride in your abilities was key in accomplishing mentoring to others without saying a word.  This alone was enough to influence other to be better than the norm.  This taught me that if I have integrity and ethics, I believe in myself, without saying a word, I can show subordinates and my leadership that I am ready and willing to lead by my actions.

Sgt Joseph Portuondo was the best friend and cohort that I could have ever asked for.  Because of the parallel of our career, he was never really in the position to be my direct supervisor, but he was always my friend.  We got into numerous situations and we got out of those situations together as a team.  We didn't always agree on the methods of alleviating situations, but when our backs were against the wall, we were a team and we lived and fought as brothers.  He showed me what it was like to be brothers at arms.

The 12 years I spent in the Armed Forces shaped me and made me the man I am today.  These values and leadership qualities have been lessons that I could carry into any job or mission and I'm set up for success. 

The road has not always been easy.  There have been times when I felt like I was forgotten, pressured, spit on by the very ones I vowed to give my life for.  I had moments when I didn't think I would make it through, but when I was in the darkest part of my life (both personal and professional) I remembered the words of 4 Sgts that influenced me the most. 

As a police officer, it's harder to find leadership that is as defined as it is in the military.  Bureaucracy has a way of forgetting that police officers work in a fluid environment.  Changes happen by the moment and it's the training, values, and ethics of individual officers that change a person's life at that very moment.  However, because of the teaching and mentoring I have received from my military days, I have not bent to the bureaucratic agenda when my personal integrity, values, and ethics were questioned or came under scrutiny.  For this, I have my pride and honor intact.

To those that have given me the training and leadership that have made me the person I am today, I want to say thank you.  Many of you have not been named due to the lack of time and words to express my most sincere gratitude.  However, you have not been forgotten.

Thank you.