Warrior of the Week: Ed Haskell

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Derek VanHorn
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  If someone told you to jump off a bridge or eat the worm hanging out at the bottom of the mescal bottle, would you?

Although these options are somewhat extreme in nature, taking the chance on a big decision based solely on one person's opinion can be risky. Fortunately for Ed Haskell, 319th Force Support Squadron, some risks pay off.

"One of the Airmen I worked with was forced to cross-train into manpower and he went kicking and screaming," said the native of Maine. "A few months later we crossed each other's paths and he said it was the best thing to have ever happened to him."

With that news, Haskell jumped at the next opportunity to follow suit, leaving behind a law enforcement career he very much enjoyed.

"As fun as security forces could sometimes be, I learned my view of the Air Force was somewhat limited," Haskell said. "Working manpower opened me up to a larger Air Force picture.

"There really is a huge variety of stuff we are responsible for that ranges from manpower authorizations, wartime preparation, mobility plans and process improvements. Essentially, much of it is helping commanders and chiefs tweak their mix of people in the right way to accomplish their mission."

That hard work has been well recognized -- notably in 2000 -- as the Grand Forks Air Force Base manpower office was awarded the number one small manpower office in the entire Air Force. Haskell noted that accomplishment as a highlight of his career, but it was a tenure in Germany with his original career field that tops them all.

"From a personal point of view, my time working with a program called 'Creek Defender' was the most rewarding part of my career," Haskell said. "It was a training program designed to put security police units from all over command in different exercise situations to assess and evaluate. The different opportunities and experiences I had working there were a lot of fun."

The 15-year security forces veteran still holds on to some old perks of the job.

"I like hunting and heading out what I like to call the 'back 40' for some target practice," Haskell said. "I also enjoy spending any free time I get with my wife."