RAF FAIRFORD, United Kingdom -- People-first, mission-always.
This concept of leadership has set a firm foundation for Master Sgt. Shamir Moore, 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron senior enlisted leader, since nervously accepting the opportunity to become an SEL in March 2022 and further during Bomber Task Force mission 24-1.
“I’ve had almost every level of toxic leadership in my career,” said Moore. “The most toxic leadership I’ve ever faced was if our NCO had a bad day at work or home, it transferred over to work and it got to the point of having the Airmen becoming afraid to talk to him or bring anything up.”
Moore took his negative experiences with toxic leadership to apply resiliency in his life, to be welcoming and open to let every Airman know he is there to talk through any issues they may be facing.
“My job is to take care of not only the Airmen but also the officers," said Moore. “Meaning I ensure their quality of life because when you're thinking about personal issues, it transfers to work where you can't process things and focus on your work.”
Moore says his dedication to providing a higher quality of life for those around him is because of a people-first, mission-always mindset. When you take care of your people, your people will always take care of the mission.
“During the BTF, he’s been extremely easy to talk to and very helpful,” said Airman 1st Class Marissa Adkison, 9th EBS weather forecaster. “Early in the deployment, Moore was able to help us adjust to the new environment as we were settling into the BTF workflow and it’s been easier since.”
Moore's commitment to a positive work environment led him to reflect on his role as the SEL and his career.
“I feel great about being the SEL,” said Moore. “I love the job, the squadron and our current leadership ensuring a higher quality of life for our Airmen. I keep doing this job because it’s the people around me. I’ve been in for over 20 years of service and the Airmen are why I want to stay and continue the job.”