Taking the lead ... New 341st MSG/CC brings wealth of enlisted, officer experience to new command duties

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Who could have imagined that a young boy growing up on a dairy farm about an hour away from Potsdam, N.Y., would eventually be an Air Force colonel and assume group leadership? Col. Roderick Davis didn't see it coming, perhaps it was fate and the perspectives he has gained along the way that brought him to his current position at Malmstrom. 

Colonel Davis assumed command of the 341st Mission Support Group July 2 after arriving here from his last duty station at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. 

He spent his childhood watching his father do many things on the farm and worked hard. 

"The farm had 30 to 40 head of cattle that we milked a couple times each day. We milked cows and handled hay seven-days-a-week and 365-days-a-year," Colonel Davis said. 

Hands-on labor was standard for a dairy farmer and there was no college class to instruct a farmer on everything he needed to know. 

"My dad was a jack-of-all-trades. I saw him do electrical work, plumbing, carpentry and mechanical work on the farm. In my dad's generation, you did everything [yourself] because you had to. It's hard to find someone who can, no kidding, do what my dad's generation could do with their hands," he said. 

The colonel described one specific talent his father had that made a lasting impression on him. 

"My dad did a lot of things that really amazed me. He could look at a cow and tell if she was going to have twins or not by the way she was acting. He could also tell if she was supposed to have a calf that day and perceive if the calf was sideways and not coming out," he said. "Someone from my generation, and I suspect someone from the younger generation, would look at that and say, 'Don't you need some schooling to do something like that?'" 

Before Colonel Davis was coined an Air Force Mustang by becoming a commissioned officer after serving in the enlisted ranks, he ran many half-marathons, competing two to three times a month and went on permissive TDY to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to compete in the 26-mile Air Force Marathon in September 2003, which he completed in under three-and-a-half hours. 

"I love to run," he said. "It's not about beating someone else; it's me against the clock." The colonel doesn't run quite as much as he used to, however, he still runs three to five times a week. 

When Colonel Davis isn't running, he likes to play golf and volleyball. 

He also enjoyed reading the "Da Vinci Code" and likes reading Tom Clancy and Civil War-related books. 

Colonel Davis' most enjoyable assignment was at Maxwell AFB, Ala., as the 30th Student Squadron commander. The squadron is part of the Squadron Officer School, which teaches Professional Military Education to captains. He later moved on to be vice commandant of the Air and Space Basic Course for lieutenants at Maxwell Air Force Base. 

"I absolutely and totally enjoyed being a squadron commander for those two years and being the vice commandant for a year during the three years I was there," he said. "I talked to new lieutenants and captains about their perspective on the Air Force and shared my experiences with them. It was quite a bit of fun. I got to [meet] with every one of them and maybe in some little way, impact how they look at the Air Force and how they're going to do their job," Colonel Davis said. "[The students] were going to be the lieutenant colonels and colonels of the Air Force in 10 years. I got to see the future of the Air Force." 

Another interesting piece of memorabilia he collected during his career is a pin he received while giving briefings to several visiting Russian generals, including Igor Sergeyev, Commander in Chief of Strategic Rocket Forces, during his time at Offutt AFB, Neb. 

"We got to learn about the different ways they handle their weapons and who handles them," Colonel Davis said. "They were amazed we had Airmen guarding weapons and convoys were led by captains." 

In Russia, these jobs are performed by higher-ranking personnel. 

In 1984 when Colonel Davis received his commission, he had a vision of what a successful Air Force career was to him and he has since surpassed that goal.
"I'm really happy to be here. I'm learning the mission and the people in the group," he said. "I'm looking forward to the next two years in command and helping everyone do their job more easily." 

Colonel Davis believes it is important to enjoy the time each servicemember has in the Air Force. People must picture in their minds what goals they want to achieve and take advantage of educational opportunities. By the end of their career, they can be proud and relish in their good memories. 

"When you finally take that uniform off at the end of the day or the end of four years, or if you retire at 20, what is it that is going to make you happily sit back and say 'I did a ton of good, and I'm proud of what I did while I was in the Air Force,'" Colonel Davis said. 

"Enjoy the ride."