JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – It’s Mission Monday. Meet Tech. Sgt. Samuel Gonzalez, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center's Detachment 7 antiterrorism program manager at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.
He works with the principal antiterrorism advisors to Air Education and Training Command’s security forces leadership element to support AT programs at AETC installations. He also serves as the functional area man-day manager for the command’s security forces military personnel appropriation.
We asked the Plainview, Texas, native to tell us a little more about himself and the work he does for the Department of the Air Force.
What do you love about your job?
Having a positive influence on the overall safety of our installations and being able to provide support back to security forces squadron personnel who need it most.
When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?
Knowing what I do has an actual benefit to the security of the bases we serve and the security forces units we provide manning support to.
Why are you and your team important to the Air Force and Space Force enterprise and your customers?
The work we do, particularly in the antiterrorism realm, helps each installation commander and antiterrorism program manager make the best decisions they can to mitigate risk and secure their personnel and resources.
Describe a project/event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:
When I was fairly new to AFIMSC, I was able to participate in the organization’s Base to Command Working Group. I learned a tremendous amount about funding and project prioritization. We were able to help advocate for current and future critical mission impacts affecting installation security and vulnerabilities. We secured five of the top six unspecified minor military construction funding priorities in the command.
How does what you do support AFIMSC’s strategic priorities?
The threat reduction and risk mitigation that comes from our antiterrorism focus helps support and enable each of AFIMSC’s strategic priorities. Particularly, increasing lethality and readiness, and amplifying warfighter culture.
Is there anything else you’d like to add which might help people understand the importance of what you do for the Department of the Air Force?
As antiterrorism advisors, we monitor vulnerabilities, oversee mitigation efforts and provide assessment data to higher echelons. My duties as a military personnel appropriation manager includes manning requirements validation, planning, budgeting and the execution of taskings to ensure Air Force Reserve personnel support to 11 installations.