GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Master Sgt. Chris Armstrong enlisted in the Air Force in 2005 as an Airborne Cryptologic Arabic Linguist. Now, 18 years and nine duty stations later, he serves at the 17th Training Wing as a flight chief for the 313th Training Squadron, overseeing five intel training courses.
Armstrong's desire to push himself and his team toward professional development extends outside his office. As a result, downtime is never really downtime for Armstrong.
"My hobbies are very limited right now," Armstrong said. "I am pursuing a master's in industrial and organizational psychology, which takes all of my time."
Industrial and organizational psychology is the study of how organizations interact within their workforce, being able to accurately relay and carry out the company's mission and vision from the CEO down to the newest hire, and how employees behave with one another in a professional setting.
Pursuing this degree and other developmental programs that Armstrong has participated in, such as earning a John Maxwell certification, have refined fundamental leadership skills that he pushes to share with other service members at Goodfellow.
“I’ve been working with Master Sgt. Segrow at the Consolidated Learning Center to host lunch and learns, Raider University, and also to provide additional courses,” He said with a smile. “I’ve also been working with Military Family Readiness to help with the cadet program, to bring some leadership tools to them.”
Working with multiple programs on base has built Armstrong’s notable reputation as a driven, hardworking, and caring individual.
“Not only has he directly impacted his peers, but he is also very passionate about the need to grow others who seek out professional development opportunities, as well as devoting his time to facilitate courses like Psychological Safety,” said Master Sgt. Shaun Segrow, 17th Training Wing Development Advisor. “His desire to impact others has directly influenced me to continue to not only use my platform for development but also to continue to grow myself as a leader, mentor, and wingman!”
Before pursuing his master's in industrial and organizational psychology, Armstrong earned his bachelor's in psychology; with this, he goes beyond prioritizing professional development on base by also emphasizing "psychological safety" among his team.
“Psychological safety is all about creating an environment where people feel free to speak their mind without fear of reprisal,” Armstrong said.
While still highlighting a chain of command that airmen must follow, Armstrong clarifies that mutual respect among ranks is necessary to create a healthy, safe environment for airmen at Goodfellow and throughout the Air Force.
He believes that it is essential that everyone in his team, regardless of rank, should be able to address any concerns, solutions, and proposals that may advance their unit or make the work environment better for all.
“Sergeant Armstrong truly embodies what it means to serve as a senior noncommissioned officer in the United States Air Force, and I am proud to serve alongside him,” said Segrow.