HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Tech. Sgt. Terry Smith, 775th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal, received a surprise visit earlier this week from Col. Jenise Carroll, 75th Air Base Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Raymond Riley, 75th ABW Command Chief, with news of his selection for a STEP promotion.
Each calendar year, a limited number of enlisted Air Force personnel with exceptional potential may be promoted to the grades of staff sergeant and technical sergeant under the Air Force's Stripes for Exceptional Performers, or STEP, program. With the STEP program, the selected assume the new rank immediately.
“Initially, I had no idea I was being submitted for consideration, so later in the process I was shocked when learning of it,” said Smith. “After the holiday weekend, my leadership lured me into the conference room by telling me we had an unrelated meeting, but when Colonel Carrol and Chief Riley walked in, I made the connection and was pleasantly surprised.”
Lt. Col. Daniel Long, 775th CES commander, said Smith was selected as the nominee from the squadron due to his sustained superior performance at levels beyond what is expected of a staff sergeant.
“This year, he stepped up and accomplished many tasks that are normally assigned to technical or master sergeants,” Long said. “His selection and subsequent promotion to technical sergeant aligns his rank with his performance.”
Working with the Department of Homeland Security, Smith trained several hundred personnel on explosive threats and served as the explosive ordnance disposal team leader for a major test event on the Utah Test and Training Range.
In addition, he backfilled one of the squadron’s most-challenging section chief positions to execute $320,000 of equipment item purchases, as well as served as one of the 75th ABW’s resiliency trainers and suicide intervention providers.
“I have been fortunate to have really good leadership and supervision who continually strive to provide an environment in which we all can succeed,” Smith said. “I also think I was just lucky enough to have people who see more in me than what I recognize in myself.”