Secretary balances schedules, sees person, not just uniform

  • Published
  • By Gina Randall
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  (Editor's note: This is the first installment of a two part series on commander's secretaries and their importance to the mission).

Some people on base may only see the wing commander once in a while when he is either touring their shop, presenting awards or leading a commander's call. They may even have paperwork requiring his signature and wonder why it takes time to get it back.

This is where his secretary comes in to ensure he gets the most out of his day to help Airmen, families and execute the mission. 

"The area of my work I find most challenging is balancing their (the commanders') schedules," said Ashley Aviles, 100th Air Refueling Wing commander's secretary from Camarillo, California. "A lot of people forget the commanders are people too. They want to pack 15 hours worth of work into a 10 hour day. They also have administration tasks such as reading their emails, just like us."

As the secretary, she arranges the commander's day with a great deal of responsibility, to not only the thousands of people living and working on base, but the security of their families. The commander needs to keep a good balance of work and rest to ensure he is "Square-D Away."

"They have to eat," Aviles laughed. "Everyone's appointment is important, but there is only one commander and a vice. Also, I'm often balancing appointments when I'm not allowed to know what they are for. Trying to prioritize correctly can be a challenge. It's like a giant working puzzle that is constantly changing."

Not only does she balance the day of the commander and vice commander, but she also ensures the command chief is kept in the loop.

"The chief's calendar most closely reflects the commander's calendar, so any time I move something for the commander I need to make sure I coordinate with the chief's executive assistant too," Aviles added.

Although she has a full day, she enjoys the work she has been tasked with and the people she works with.

"I enjoy getting to see the more personal side of things," said Aviles. "A lot of people don't see the commanders as anything but the commander. But when you are up here you get to see them as people. With all the people coming in and out of the office you get to see a more personal side of the relationships we have with the community."

Being surrounded by service members has also allowed her to enter the world her spouse has embarked on throughout his career.

"It's definitely eye opening. I know a lot of spouses don't have the opportunity to work over here in the U.K.," Aviles explained. "Stateside, I was completely separate from my husband. He was military, I was civilian, and it was a very different lifestyle. Now that I am constantly around military people, I have a much better appreciation for what he does."

To a busy commander, his secretary is the reason he meets his deadlines, makes it to meetings on time and gets time to spend time with his Airmen and family. The secretary is a huge part of his day and the 100th ARW leadership is proud of their support staff.

"The 100th ARW could not function as efficiently as it does without Ashley's influence," said Col. Thomas Torkelson, 100th ARW commander. "While balancing her own responsibilities as a mother and spouse, she is also keeping me, Chief Cruz (Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Cruz-Munoz, 100th ARW command chief), and Col. Howard (Col. John Howard, 100th ARW vice commander) synchronized and balanced. It's a tough job, but she is up to the challenge -- it's an honor to serve beside her."