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343rd RCS non-commission officer surprised with ‘STEP’ promotion

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Hillary Stonemetz
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
DES MOINES, Iowa --  When your commander cuts his business travel short in order to have a little chat with your squadron about some 'issues' he's unhappy about, it's probably not a good thing.

Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Polomsky, 343rd Recruiting Squadron commander, did just that after sending off a series of e-mails voicing his displeasure with the Military Entrance Processing station here recently.

"I immediately went into semi-panic mode," said Master Sgt. Wendy Berry, Military Entrance Processing Station liaison supervisor. "Whose commander leaves the command leadership conference unless the issues are big enough to get me fired from my position?"

Early the morning of Aug. 31, Polomsky, 1st Lt. Anastasia Wasem, 343rd RCS operations flight commander and Senior Master Sgt. Guy Hale, 343rd RCS operations flight chief, met with Berry to discuss the 'issues' surrounding the Des Moines MEPS.

Polomsky asked pointed questions such as whether or not Berry was the person responsible for the decisions being made here. He also demanded to know why Brig. Gen. Balan Ayyar, Air Force Recruiting Service commander and Col. Michael Vlk, 372nd Recruiting Group commander needed to talk to him about the Des Moines MEPS.

"I told him that I am the one responsible for the MEPS," Berry said. "I also said I didn't know why the AFRS commander and group commander would call him."

Polomsky then informed Berry that she was out of uniform, and immediately promoted her to master sergeant under the Stripes for Exceptional Performers program.

"I got all teary eyed," Berry said. "An all-hands meeting was called and we then went to the ceremony room here at MEPS and Hale read me the senior non-commissioned officer creed."

Berry is the fourth STEP promotee for Air Force Recruiting Service in 2011 and the second STEP promotion at the Des Moines MEPS.

The 343rd RCS is located at Offutt Air Force Base Neb., and covers a 370,000 square-mile area that includes Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Its mission is to inspire, engage and recruit the brightest, most competitive and diverse men and women for service in America's Air Force.