Sergeant a 'Warrior' in LP

by Airman 1st Class Amber Carter
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

2/20/2015 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- There are many reasons why Airmen at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., attend free courses including, but not limited to, learning how to buy a house, how to work with the variety of personalities in the work place and even how to run with proper form.

For Tech. Sgt. Mark Esquer, 15th Air Mobility Operations Squadron flight engineer, volunteering as a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response coordinator and taking the training courses led him to the goal of participating in enough Leadership Pathway courses to recently reach the coveted warrior level, the highest achievement level consisting of 30 credits.

"After seeing that some of my previous volunteer courses earned credits toward the Leadership Pathways, I decided to take a few more classes," Esquer said. "I wanted to set an example for other Airmen and create a movement for our squadron, for our non-commissioned officers and even senior NCOs."

The Air Mobility Command Community Action Information Board adopted the Leadership Pathways program to support its Comprehensive Airman Fitness Strategy. It assigns credits to each course and works on a 3-tiered level; wingman, leader and warrior, at 10, 20 and 30 credits, respectively.

"We have had a steady increase of participants since the program's implementation in 2012," said Wes Yancey, 60th Air Mobility Wing community support coordinator. "In calendar year 2014, we had 9,028 participants in Leadership Pathways. As far as I know, there are only five who have reached the Warrior status and they are all from Travis."

After attending the three health classes offered at David Grant USAF Medical Center focusing on fitness, nutrition and a healthy heart, Esquer used what he learned to benefit his squadron.

"I brought a body transformation challenge to the squadron," Esquer said. "Going to the courses allowed me to use my head and think about how it could benefit the unit."

Esquer has inspired many in his shop, including Master Sgt. Michael Lopez, 15th AMOS flight chief, to make the courses even more accessible.

"For 2015, we are going to start having NCOs who have reached certain levels in the Leadership Pathways program to teach some of the courses not only here but also around the base," Lopez said. "I got here in October and I am already jumping on board because I think it is a great initiative. It doesn't matter what rank you are, you can inspire anybody."

The health courses have also helped the 17-year veteran become one step closer to achieving his goal of earning a perfect score on the Air Force physical fitness test.

"I have been focusing on my personal fitness level as well," Esquer said. "I have learned to eat healthier and how to live a healthier lifestyle."

He attributes his achievement to his leadership, his fellow Airmen at the 15th AMOS and his family.

"It's easier to achieve your goals whether it's Leadership Pathways, school, rank or anything, if you have support from your leadership, your team and your family," Esquer said. "If you try and do everything on your own, it will be a lot harder."

The Leadership Pathways program encourages the total force, Department of Defense civilians and family members to participate in wing programs and activities that strengthen individual, family and unit resilience using the Four Domains of Fitness; mental, physical, social and spiritual, according to the AMC Leadership Pathways Concepts of Operations.

"Once we get to a place where we feel like we have plateaued, you just keep striving for the next level of continued development," Lopez said. "Not only does it give something to strive for, this guarantees some recognition, it fires them up and helps to keep everyone motivated."