WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- The 442d Fighter Wing converted an existing Active Guard and Reserve 1st Sgt. position to the newly-created Wing Resiliency 1st Sgt. position Jan 1, 2022.
The position – currently filled by Master Sgt. Ulisses Cortez, the former 442d Force Support Squadron 1st Sgt. – reports directly to the wing commander, rather than a squadron commander.
Prior to the creation of the Wing Resiliency 1st Sgt. position, the only full-time “shirt” in the wing worked for FSS.
“I get the opportunity to move around the groups and sense the pulse of what’s going on in the entire wing,” Cortez said.
Placing the full-timer directly under the wing commander makes it easier for members from other squadrons to make use of the “shirt’s” services.
“I’m not replacing their owning 1st Sgt.,” Cortez said. Rather, he sees himself as an additional resource that can be used outside of normal Unit Training Assembly weekends. “I still will work in conjunction with their owning shirts so that they can be taken care of and see that their problem is resolved.
Cortez stressed that he may physically be only one person, but he represents the entire 1st Sgt. council, and that he couldn’t do his job without the support of his fellow “shirts,” teammates, mentors and Airmen he’s learned from throughout his career.
“I’m just here to listen,” he said. “Whether it’s celebrating your birthday, whether you had a flat tire, or whether you just had a bad day at work.”
The Wing Resiliency 1st Sgt. position is an Air Force Reserve initiative to ensure Citizen Airmen are provided a “shirt” at any time.
Cortez can be found in Building 48, Room 131, or he can be reached by phone at 660-909-3409.