Sheppard det Airman gives ACC commander lift, gets coined

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cody R. Miller
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs


TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The wingman concept is instilled in Airmen from their very first day in basic training through the day they retire. A Tyndall Airman recently learned firsthand that a junior enlisted is capable of being a wingman to his MAJCOM commander, a general officer.

Airman Richard Medina is an F-22 Raptor crew chief-in-training at the 372nd Training Detachment here at Tyndall. Medina stopped during a drive on Dec. 7 when he saw two individuals in need of help after their car broke down. After offering his assistance and giving them a ride, Medina found out that one of them was the commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. Mike Holmes.

Holmes was at Tyndall to meet with 325th Fighter Wing and First Air Force leadership and Airmen as part of a base visit to learn more about the missions here. 

“I originally only saw two guys pushing a car, they weren’t wearing rank or anything so I didn’t really think anything of it,” Medina said. “I dropped them off at the inn and Gen. Holmes told me to hold up before I left. He came back and coined me and introduced himself as the ACC commander. I was definitely nervous, but glad I could help. They both thought it was funny because I’d never been coined before, but they taught me how it was done with the whole shake, take, salute process.”

Service before self and being a wingman are an instrumental part of the Air Force core values and though Medina has been an Airman for less than a year, he has already taken this philosophy to heart.

“Even if he’s a general and I’m an Airman, we all joined and we’re all in the same branch of service,” said Medina. “We may not work together every day, but we have the same mission and goal.”

Medina said that he’s always believed in helping his fellow man, a value he was taught by his mother.

“My mother is definitely where I got my foundation of helping others,” said Medina. “If there was someone on the side of the road asking for money, even if she didn’t have cash, she would try to give them something even if it was just a water bottle.”

Medina is currently in training and recently prepped and marshaled his first jet off the runway, a hallmark in crew chief training. He says that he looks forward to his career in the Air Force and hopes to get the opportunity to make a real difference.

The Air Force can be a difficult lifestyle for many and Airmen often depend on their comrades. Sometimes that help can even come from a brand new Airman still in training.