Fireman named Senior NCO of the Year Published March 8, 2013 By Maj. Kelly Howard 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- The belief that there is a difference between being a 'chief' and an E-9 helped earn Grissom firefighter recognition as the 434th Air Refueling Wing Senior NCO of the Year for 2012. "Whatever I do, I do to help those I lead better their careers," said Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Groszek, 434th Civil Engineering Squadron firefighting superintendent, "I work for them." And, it's that philosophy of fostering mentorship that set the cornerstone for the Groszek's award. "We mentor to say 'who's next; who will replace me?'" he emphasized. Groszek not only applied that theory at Grissom, but abroad as well. He spent the first three months of 2012, wrapping up a deployment to Southwest Asia, where he helped transition a base's fire protection from civilian to military firefighters - a transition that saved more than $3 million in contract costs. But while the dollar value is fixed, the value on instilling pride and professionalism isn't limited. "I enjoyed building the fire department, and the teamwork that developed from it," said Groszek, who added that part of his success came from his foundations as a civilian firefighter. "As a Chicago firefighter I get to work with traditions, values and a lot of history," he explained, adding that he wanted to instill that same kind of pride in the firefighters there - starting from the ground up. "Many of the Airmen didn't know what the Maltese Cross stands for, or didn't know what the eight points of the Maltese Cross represent and didn't' know what the ringing of the bells meant," he said of the basic firefighting symbols and traditions. So, the chief worked to teach them about their service and duty, and instill that sense of pride of profession in them. Also during his deployment, which was his third, Groszek said he was able to balance process improvements with supportive personnel management. From savings standpoint, he discovered and returned more than $75,000 in overstocked fire equipment to central storage for reuse in the area of responsibility. He also served as the vice-president of a deployed Top-3 council, an organization of the top three enlisted ranks, and hosted a 9/11 ceremony at the fire station that included dignitaries from 12 countries. "People can complain about a situation or location, but I tell my young Airmen to get involved," he said. "You can make it better - just do something!" Following that mantra, he worked to improve quality of life for his troops by identifying and correcting a safety issue that had gone undetected for three years. The issue was resolved when he secured a contract to replace more than $40,000 in outdated respirators. As a lieutenant in the Chicago Fire Department, and a chief in the Air Force Reserve, Groszek has great experience in both the civilian and military worlds, said Maj. Paul Brenner, 434th CES commander. "He epitomizes what (someone having those experiences) can accomplish," he said. "When the country needed him the most, he was able to help the war effort by truly leading young Airmen during his deployment." "All of my success is because leadership allows me to lead," the chief said. "Major Brenner allows me to make decisions and do my job; I then can allow my Airmen to do their jobs without getting in their way. It is a total team effort." The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Airmen and aircraft from the 434th ARW routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
