Rising 6 exemplifies team pride

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Austin Delacruz Jr.
  • 60th Medical Operations Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Formed as a private organization designed to promote professional development, welfare, and morale of junior enlisted members and encouraging an attitude of unified purpose, the Rising 6 represents all junior enlisted rank Airmen from E-1 through E-6 assigned to Travis.

The council leadership and committee members are selected from its active members with rank never playing a factor in the selection process. All council members serve a one-year term starting and ending in June each year.

Since its formation in June 2000, it continues to make huge impacts on the lives of Travis citizen Airmen, their families and the local civilian community. They set their goals high to serve as their country's defense but also to the community where they live while on and off-duty.

Today, the Rising 6 continues to reach heights beyond what anyone thought was possible. Each member truly epitomizes the Air Force core value of service before self by symbolizing American volunteerism, tradition and spirit - a true Travis Team pride. But what exactly is the Rising 6?

"For me, increasing the Rising 6 membership and attendance at our monthly meetings has been one of our biggest accomplishments," stated Technical Sgt. Billie Ogan, 60th Medical Support Squadron flight chief to the Commander's Action Group and current president of the Travis Rising 6.

"The current Rising 6 executive committee focused on placing energetic, outgoing committee leads into the position that best suited each committee," explained Sgt. Ogan. "Once we had strong committee leads in place, those leads in turn reached out to the wing and further recruited members to attend the meetings and assist with Rising 6 projects, tripling last year's attendance records."

According to Sgt. Ogan, this larger pool of people now enables the junior enlisted community to cross-talk among several different Air Force Specialty Codes, where it was very limited before. It also allows Rising 6 members to see a much broader picture of the Air Force mission at Travis on many different levels.

Since its inception, the Rising 6 has become one of the most active organizations on base and has positively touched so many lives both inside and outside the Travis perimeter. One such example is the Deployed/Disabled Airman Lawn Care program. Knowing Airmen are leaving their families forsix months up to a year in deployments, the Rising 6 has stepped up to help deployed members' families by providing yard work and maintenance of their assigned government quarters. The effort not only eases the stress on the deployed member, but also demonstrates that their families are taken care of while being away from home.

The Rising 6 also provides two or three-person teams to augment manpower at the Airman's Attic, a thrift shop that offers a wide variety of used home furniture, kitchen utensils and apparels for all ages and even children's toys at a very low price. The joint efforts of the Rising 6 and Airman's Attic have helped new and young military families afford the basic needs of starting a household.

The Rising 6 is also at the forefront of Travis Airmen's safety and well being. In collaboration with Airmen Against Drunk Driving, the Rising 6 provides five standby designated drivers every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., and during every major and base-wide function including the annual combat Dining In and wing holiday party.

AADD and the Rising 6 provide free, safe and confidential rides home for Airmen under the influence of alcohol. As a result of this collaborative effort, numerous potential DUIs have been averted that could have endangered our people, our families and have threatened the mission, our Airmen's career, finances and even innocent lives. Many Airmen volunteer for this life-saving program and Rising 6 encourages others to continue supporting this effort.

As the holiday season kicks in, Rising 6 will be teaming up with other support organizations during several fund raising drives. Last year, the group collected and distributed over 5,000 toys for less fortunate families within Solano County through the U.S. Marine Corps' "Toys for Tots" campaign. They also provide meals to residents of the Travis Fisher House every third Friday of the month or volunteer at Mission Solano in Fairfield.

The Rising 6 hones the skills of young Airmen to become effective supervisors and leaders thru professional development. Rising 6 delivers lectures to every graduating class at the First Term Airman Center, from "bullet" writing to keeping track of individual accomplishments, and the importance of community involvement.

"Rising 6 gives members a chance to develop themselves professionally for the Air Force and advance their own personal career, whether it be for four or 20-plus years," explained Airman First Class Cory Baird, 60th Medical Operations Squadron medical technician and Rising 6 public affairs chairperson.

"We strive as an organization to recruit new members through First Term Airmen Center, Phase II programs, non-commissioned officer development courses, and other avenues," Airman Baird said. "Actively participating in Rising 6 functions equates creating a direct impact within the local community and Team Travis family, something we are grateful for."

In serving our nation during this time of war, the Rising 6 continues to rise above these daily challenges in taking care of our Airmen and each other. Many continue to volunteer their precious and limited time which yields unlimited benefits to our Airmen and Travis community.

For more information about becoming a member of the Rising 6 and other volunteer opportunities, contact Airman First Class Cory Baird at 423-5231.