Garney positioned as staff judge advocate Published Aug. 5, 2009 By Airmen 1st Class Valerie Hosea 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 82nd Training Wing's new staff judge advocate said his priority is to help smooth the road to success for Sheppard Airmen and leaders. "Since I'm a problem solver, my goal is to help Airmen, dependents, commanders and other leaders to have a smooth road ahead of them for accomplishing our mission," Col. Mark Garney said. "I also want to help teach Airmen how important discipline is to our Air Force, and at the same time to show them that mistakes and are not necessarily fatal to a career." Colonel Garney, who has been in the Air Force for 19 years, was last stationed at Eielson AFB, Alaska, where he contributed to one of the most important changes that base has undergone. "We went through a major mission change," he said. "We switched from an operational flying fighting mission to a flying training mission working with multiple nations and services. About four to five air-to-air and air-to-ground exercises are conducted yearly now." While the colonel enjoyed his time at Eielson AFB, he said he looks forward to his future helping Sheppard. "Our nation deserves the best Airmen we can give it, and Airmen deserve the best chance to serve with honor. I'll be strongly supporting both of those aspects of what we do here at Sheppard," he said. It's easy for Airmen to have fun and enjoy life while building a great career. However, he said he's seen a lot of young folks that have made bad decisions that they have to pay for the rest of their lives. "Don't be one of those people. Don't drink when you shouldn't, be where you should be on time, and have a good attitude about your work. Find friends that help you succeed and stay close to them. The legal office does a lot to help Airmen when they need us, but we also unfortunately see a lot of Airmen who have done things they regret. Have fun with what you're doing and enjoy your success," Colonel Garney said.