Warrior of the Week: Tech. Sgt. Elmer Mendoza

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. David Dobrydney
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  

Name: Tech. Sgt. Elmer Mendoza

Unit: 319th Medical Support Squadron

Duty title: NCOIC, Clinical Laboratory

Time in service: 13.5 years

Time on station: 2 years and 3 months

Hometown:  Rancho Cordova, California

Why is serving in the Air Force important to you?
With the continuously evolving political/economic/social atmosphere both here in our homeland and globally, I want to be a part of the solution. And for me, the U.S. Air Force is one of the few organizations which is in the forefront of this evolution.

What moment or accomplishment as a Warrior of the North are you most proud of and why?
There is nothing more rewarding to me, as a supervisor, than to see my subordinates grow, succeed, and hear accolades from my senior leadership on how well they are doing. It gives me great pride that I am doing something right for them.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is working with the providers to diagnose and treat patients.

Who or what inspires you and why?
My troops. They keep me on my toes! They always remind me that I have to be on my best every time. I need to be able to set a good example for them as leader.

What's the first thing that made you think Grand Forks Air Force Base was a cool place other than the temperature or weather?
There are tons of opportunities for personal and professional growth.  You can work on your Community College of the Air Force degree, Bachelor's degree, etc. It's also a nice starting base to harness and work on your leadership skills.

Do you have any military service family members or anyone close to you that has served? If so when and where did they serve?
I have six family members that had served the military. My dad, two uncles and one of my cousins served and enlisted with the Navy. Two of my cousins enlisted with the Air Force. All of them are retired now with the exception of one of my cousins.