An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

AETC Occupational analyst treated to celebration befitting 50-year career

  • Published
  • By Robert Goetz
  • Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas --  Veteran occupational analyst Hank Dubois is no fan of fanfare, especially when it's directed at him, but a 50-year civil service career is something to celebrate, as he found out the morning of Feb. 12.

When he walked into the Air Education and Training Command Occupational Analysis Division conference room in Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph's Hangar 13 that day, he was totally unprepared for what awaited him.

Surrounded by more than 30 people, including his colleagues, his wife, Tammy, and other family members, and two special guests, Dubois, AETC Occupational Analysis Division Combat Services and Support Specialties chief, experienced a morning to remember. The conference room he was standing in, he learned, would bear his name. A plaque recognizing his years of service and congratulatory letters from Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Gen. Robin Rand, AETC commander, were presented to him.

Brig. Gen. Stephen Linsenmeyer, AETC Directorate of Intelligence, Operations and Nuclear Integration interim director, and Col. Samuel Milam, directorate deputy director for flying training, joined the celebration, using their attendance at "briefings" that morning as a guise for their presence and as a decoy to keep Dubois away from the conference room as it was being set up for the event.

"The celebration was a total surprise," Dubois said.

He admitted the attention he received was a little embarrassing.

"It's my job," Dubois said. "I just come in every day and do it."

Dubois has been coming in and doing his job ever since 1964, when the San Antonio Central Catholic High School graduate enlisted in the 433rd Tactical Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit at then-Kelly Air Force Base, and handled assignments in administrative management, personnel, education and training. He also served a four-year special-duty assignment as wing senior enlisted adviser.

Dubois' civil service career began at his Reserve unit in 1965 as an Air Reserve technician military personnel specialist, and he advanced to the position of military personnel programs chief.

Dubois moved across town in 1980, joining the legacy Air Force Occupational Measurement Center at Randolph Air Force Base as a job inventory developer and occupational analyst. He served three years as a job inventory developer and four years as an analyst and report writer before he was chosen as chief of the inventory department, a post he held for 15 years.

Dubois' military career ended in 1990, when he retired from the Reserve as a chief master sergeant, but his civilian career continued. He was chosen to lead the special studies section in 2002 and became analysis operations chief in 2007. A division reorganization two years later resulted in his current role, and he also serves as occupational analysis division deputy chief.

The occupational analysts' job is to survey and analyze career fields, Dubois said.

"We survey what people do in their jobs - the tasks they do and the time it takes," he said. "We collect a lot of background information, and we also collect job satisfaction information. All the data goes through extensive analysis."

Dubois said the Occupational Analysis Division comprises two production units - airpower generation, which includes aircraft operations, intelligence and maintenance, and combat services and support, which he supervises.

"We keep data as fresh as we can to support Air Force career field managers," he said.

Roger Corbin, AETC occupational analysis division chief, said Dubois' work has an Air Force-wide focus.

"Hank provides Air Force formal training with factual assessments of what to train Airmen on and ensures AETC relevance - a huge Air Force-level impact," he said. "Hank has invested most of his civil service career spearheading the effort to collect and analyze occupational data, which is the driver in establishing requirements across the Air Force's formal technical training enterprise."

Corbin said Dubois' leadership "provides the blueprint for Air Force specialty curriculum" and he "provides the data that ensures that Air Force formal training is matched to operational needs."

Dubois said one of the pleasures of his career has been his opportunity to mentor young officers when the occupational analysis program included active-duty members.

Corbin said that mentorship has been "extremely helpful to countless young officers."

"Just last week I received a note from an officer who will pin on the rank of colonel telling me of the huge impact Hank made on his career," he said. "This officer referenced Hank's leadership style of 'taking care of people' as being a key ingredient in his being promoted to colonel."

Dubois paid tribute to his colleagues.

"We have a super group of people throughout our division," he said. "Just about everybody knows the military. Most are retired military, and the others have been working in this for a long time."