News>Medic turned first sergeant brings caring to 728th AMS
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Master Sgt. Anitra Mostacero, 728th Air Mobility Squadron first sergeant, reviews forms and memorandums Dec. 16, 2011, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. This is Mostacero's seventh squadron as a first sergeant. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli/Released)
Master Sgt. Anitra Mostacero, 728th Air Mobility Squadron first sergeant, right, and Senior Airman Irna Diaz, 728th AMS knowledge operations manager, review Mostacero's official biography online Dec. 16, 2011, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. This is Mostacero's seventh squadron as a first sergeant. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli/Released)
Master Sgt. Anitra Mostacero, 728th Air Mobility Squadron first sergeant, right, and Lt. Col. Brian Lindsey, 728th AMS commander, review an e-mail Dec. 16, 2011, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. This is Mostacero's seventh squadron as a first sergeant. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli/Released)
by Senior Airman William A. O'Brien
39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
1/20/2012 - INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Living in Mount Pleasant, S.C., and working two jobs trying to get through college, a family member in the Army suggested to Anitra Mostacero that she join the Air Force.
More than 15 years later, Master Sgt. Anitra Mostacero, 728th AMS first sergeant, is with her seventh squadron as a first sergeant - a job she not only loves, but also feels is a perfect fit for her personality. Originally a medical administrator, her vast knowledge of the Air Force and willingness to help people opened the door for many Airmen to ask general Air Force questions.
"People would come to me and ask me questions, so I was doing my regular job and the people portion also; so I figured I would make my regular job the people," she said. "I love it. My medical background gives me care and perspective, because as a medic, we're in the caring business."
To start out, Mostacero became an additional duty first sergeant. During this time she received exposure to different responsibilities of a first sergeant. When she got to her first squadron she was already accustomed to working with people and several other aspects of the first sergeant job, but said one thing she never realized was how much paperwork the job entailed.
"I didn't realize how administrative being a first sergeant was," she explained. "The administration aspect takes up a lot of our time. We have to make rosters, check lists, all kinds of suspenses, and the list just goes on."
Mostacero has worked in numerous squadrons both home and abroad, spending time with three different squadrons deployed and four in garrison. Through this, she experienced firsthand the missions of logistics readiness, security forces, operations, combat communications and force support. Currently, Mostacero works as the first sergeant for the 728th Air Mobility Squadron here.
Of all those different squadrons and missions, her fondest memories are with FSS and LRS.
"The most memorable first sergeant job for me was FSS. I also royally enjoyed my time with LRS. I enjoyed both of them because I could get down and dirty in both of them. In FSS, I could go out and chop vegetables with services or go out and do all kinds of different things. With LRS, I could go out and work fuels. It was just amazing to get out and about and do their jobs with them because they were so diverse.
"FSS was the most memorable to me because I had so many serious situations. I learned a lot from that," she said.
While sharing Air Force knowledge and interacting with Airmen and families can shine a positive light on first sergeant duty, like every job it has its challenges, too.
"I don't like dealing with death. It's very hard. I'm an empathetic person, and I hate to see the people I work with deal with that pain. Whether they lost a family member or a coworker, it's just a tough situation to see someone go through."
It is because of first sergeants Mostacero said, every Airman has somewhere to turn no matter the circumstance. A first sergeant is always available to see someone through his or her trials.
"I like the fact that people have someone they can go to when they feel like the chips are down and there is no way out," she said. "No matter what there is always a first sergeant for them to go to who can help them out one way or another."
Mostacero believes as a first sergeant, responsibilities are clear cut: take care of your people.
"It's all about people," she said. "We're not operationally based; we don't have an operational function. We take care of the people so they can get the job done."
