Drop a name - who is the best Leader/Manager/Comander you ever worked for?

Colonel David K. Burke, 10th Combat Support Group (USAFE) Commander (aka Base Commander) at RAF Alconbury UK. I served as his Executive Officer from 1989 to 1991.

COL Bill Speer while serving at Fort Riley, KS in 1990 and 1991. He was an inspirational Warrior, academic, manager and leader.

SFC Klimek, my former readiness nco

GySgt Crutcher. An absolute SOB for the right reasons, but also one of the finest men I have ever met.

Officer: COL Robert Intress
NCO: CSM (Ret) Judson Meyer

LTC Intress was the type of leader who inspired his troops. You went the extra mile for him because you wanted to. As a young troop I probably learned more about leadership from 1SG Meyer than I did from most of my Commanders over the years.

1SG Arthur Rizer.

The BEST mentor/manager that I ever worked for was not in the military. It was actually a (now) good buddy of mine by the name of David Stradling. I worked in the local mall at a kiosk selling Refreshed shoe cleaner. He taught me not only how to sell a product, but how to communicate better with people. How to read people's body language and their willingness to buy/consider a product. But in addition to this, he also showed me ways to catch people' attention and how to confuse them just long enough for me to insert my opinion into their head and quickly get them to change their mind. By the way, the man is a former Ranger who got MEB form the Army, and is now one of the Nation's top sellers for the Refreshed company.

I am embarrassed to say I can't remember his name but for me it was my Chief in the HT shop at Port Services, Norfolk Naval Base, VA. He was a huge man from Louisiana whose wife made the best gumbo. I always knew he had my back. He had my respect from the start. And not just because of his rank. He dealt with all conflicts fairly and if you screwed up, you took your medicine because you knew you deserved it. He never treated this little female welder differently or as an inferior. I had him in mind even before I saw that you all had military supervisors in mind. I'll probably remember his name at 2:00 am but in all the years since I left the service, not one supervisor has ever come close. I may not remember the name but I will never forget his face.

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, for me it was this man. COL(ret) Alton R. Barnes was the founder and first Commandant of the Alabama Military Academy [now the 200th Regiment (LDR)]. He delivered the oath of office to me and 38 others on 16JUN73. COL Barnes, a WWII veteran, IS an extraordinary man (at 91 years of age) and many have been privileged to know him. I was fortunate enough to train under him and serve with him. He retired in 1979 as the Deputy Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard.

Lt Col (now a General and CSAF) Goldfien 555FS Aviano Airbase 99-00.