HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UT -- Senior Airman Blake Erickson, a Utah native, used to work hard in a factory but wasn't getting anywhere.
"I was in a job where I would work hard and excel and wouldn't get anything for it," Airman Erickson said. "Over and over I got turned down for promotions or better jobs in the company. I needed somewhere I could go that would give me more opportunity."
That's when he looked into joining the Air Force Reserve. He started at the 419th Fighter Wing as a traditional reservist in the Maintenance Squadron in 2006.
"I got a lot of training that has helped me, and I think that it has made me more marketable," he said.
Airman Erickson utilized his training to fill an Air Reserve Technician slot as an Information Manager in the 419th Communications Squadron, where he started working last year.
"He is like our nerve center," said Sergeant Erickson's supervisor, Master Sgt. Dan Hoyle, Functional Area Chief. "If he doesn't know the answer, he will guide the people to go and get the answers."
Airman Erickson runs multiple programs during the Unit Training Assembly to include making sure Airmen are signed in and out, and that they are paid appropriately. He manages the files plan during the UTA, is a scribe for the senior staff meeting, and serves as unit health monitor. Recently, Airman Erickson has stepped up and completed the training to become a client support administrator.
"He is very proficient at his work and always volunteers to go above and beyond what is expected of him. He comes in early and stays late," Sergeant Hoyle said. "He doesn't ask for recognition, but I truly believe he deserves it."
Airman Erickson also stays busy raising his two sons, ages three and five, but still finds time to volunteer within the wing. Most recently he helped the Top 3 Council run the concession stand at the base theater, and volunteered for the wing's Highway Cleanup Project.