Command Chief Jennie Bellerose
Command Chief Jennie Bellerose, 194th Wing, joined the military in 1989 and has a Masters in Science, Heath Education, from Purdue University. While most of her career has been with the Western Air Defense Sector, she came to the Wing in 2012 as the FSS Superintendent. Her focus as command chief is all about personal and professional growth, hoping to provide Airmen with opportunities to become increasingly skilled and effective and helping grow wellrounded people results in resilient, motivated and highly skilled Airmen. Hobbies when not in uniform: Spending time at the gun range and baking. I’m also a certified pastry chef and I coach gymnastics. How the guard has impacted your life:
I am who I am today because of the Guard. The Guard has allowed me to support my family as a single parent, allowed myself and both of my kids to get a college education, and allowed me to build relationships with folks who will be in my life even after I retire.
Best experience in the guard:
Wow…so many to list. I would have to say that what brings me the most joy about being in the Guard is how we all pull together to take care of each when we need it. The Guard truly is a family and I’m proud to be a part of it.
Favorite quote or parting words:
“My favorite quote is ‘Leadership is action, not position.’ I’m not sure where it originated, but my supervisor gave it to me when I was a staff sergeant (after I had just been non-selected in a promotion board to tech sergeant). The feedback I had received from the board was ‘it’s just not your time.’ I was frustrated with the feedback, because it didn’t give me anything that I could work on to be a better staff sergeant. My supervisor and I talked about it, and the next day he gave me a set of tech sergeant stripes with a sticky note that said, ‘leadership is action, not position.’ It was that moment that I realized that being a leader meant so much more then wearing the rank or being in a position. It was an attitude…so I changed my attitude and became a leader among my peers. It’s about the attitude you choose to have, not the position you’re sitting in.
“I didn’t wait till someone else told me it was my time. This is reason you hear me say…‘perform at the rank you want to achieve and it will come.’”