The First Sergeant Council held the First Sergeant Symposium at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, 2024.

As the principal advisor to the unit commander, a first sergeant ensures mission readiness while supporting Airmen’s personal and professional well-being. The bi-annual symposium is designed to prepare noncommissioned officers for this role by equipping them with the tools to be successful leaders.

During the symposium, guest speakers from various backgrounds shared their experiences in leadership roles and provided insight into relevant topics. An added benefit of the First Sergeant Symposium is increasing the number of eligible undershirts, or qualified noncommissioned officers who can temporarily fill the position in the absence of their first sergeant.

“First sergeant manning is always going to be a topic of conversation,” said Master Sgt. Russ Camiolo 38th and 41st Rescue Squadron first sergeant and First Sergeant Symposium coordinator. “I need more capable undershirts, and then I need more experienced entry-level first sergeants to come in and fill those ranks.”

The Air Force has a breadth of career fields that vastly differ in their day-to-day work. However, every single job requires leaders who step outside of their normal roles to focus on developing Airmen.

“The first sergeant symposium is the first major step in transitioning subject matter experts in their career fields into an overall human resources advocate," Camiolo said. "We're taking people that are maintainers, logisticians or medics, and we're starting to turn them into somebody who just focuses on people.”

The symposium also serves to develop skills in handling uncommon and challenging situations, giving Airmen an opportunity to refine their capabilities and be prepared for any circumstance that may arise.

As one of the guest speakers, Master Sgt. Niccolet Ghio, 23rd Operational Medical Readiness Squadron mental health flight chief, spoke on the topic of emotional intelligence and stressed the importance of empathy. She encouraged the students at the symposium to connect with their Airmen on a human level.

Ultimately, the First Sergeant Symposium provides a valuable opportunity to cultivate a stronger, more adaptable leadership team and foster a supportive environment at Moody AFB for Airmen and their leaders.

“Airmen are walking out of here with additional knowledge on how to deal with mental health crises and active and passive listening situations,” Camiolo said. “They can wrap all that up into one ball and be ready to take on a first sergeant's duties or just be better supervisors.”