We had the opportunity to chat with Technical Sergeant William Bradford of the United States Air Force! We talked about the challenges of his career, being a father, and his experience with the Air Force Gaming.
The world is changing before our very eyes. What was standard and common three years ago can be considered a far cry from the norms today, and there’s an overwhelming sense that the cultures of the past are shifting into new directions. Tools like the internet and our online communities, both gaming and non, are bringing more people and ideas together, all the while COVID is aiding in the pressure of the changes of sensibilities. This brings some to encounter feelings of anxiety, while others find hopefulness or pride in the change of direction.
But through all of this, there are some lives and stories that are just true and human experiences. Lives like that of Technical Sergeant William “Khaosix” Bradford who took the time to share glimpses of his life as a service member within the Air Force, his connection with Air Force Gaming, as well how he manages his role as family man through the challenges of his career. But naturally, every story has a beginning, and we started there first with his personal motivation to join the Armed Forces.
One day I was eating breakfast with my father, a retired Senior Chief in the Navy and I said “I think I want to join the Navy”. My father immediately responded with “Nah, you want to join the Air Force”. He then pulled out a phone book and called the Air Force recruiter down the street and the rest was history. As far as training goes, everyone starts at basic military training in San Antonio, Texas. As the name implies, you learn the basics of being in the military. Everything from how to wear the uniform, rules and regulations, military structure, etc.
Naturally, there are many roles within the military. Both on and off the front-lines of duty. TSgt. Bradford has had his share of both, but following his basic training he pursued his current rank of Technical Sergeant down a specialized path.
Within his current area of expertise, he oversees the application and evaluation of manpower, but also serves within a department that has close to forty-five individuals that serve as support for Air Force bases, higher headquarters, and the Department of Defense.
I am currently a Technical Sergeant with a projected promotion to Master Sergeant in February. In addition to being a technical expert, my role is to assess the talents and skills of our team and employ them to solve problems. That is more or less the official expectation of my position under Air Force guidance. Within my work center, I am the BizOps lead. In an Agile development environment like we have here, my role is to interact with the stakeholders of the products that we are currently developing as well as the teams developing said products. In essence, I am the connection piece between the operations side of the software, and the technological side. Following basic training, you move onto technical training. In our career field, this is a three month course that teaches the basic principles of programming and software development life cycle. Once finished with that, you move into training that’s specific to your assignment. Each assignment has a different mission, and therefore a different problem set. This is why the training taught at “tech school” is more basic principles rather than going in-depth into the specific nuances of a specific language. It wouldn’t make sense to teach someone advanced concepts of C++ for them to turn around and work in an office that focuses on mobileOS development in Swift.
On top of all of this though, TSgt. Bradford is a family man. Married and a father of two, TSgt. Bradford experiences the ups and downs of career life, all while juggling his role and responsibilities as a father and figure within his home. A challenge that many older gamers are coming to find themselves in.
Managing adults is much different than parenting children but also a lot of the same. Not to undermine my subordinates and suggest that I treat them like children, but a lot of the same principles apply. Those principles essentially boil down to being aware of their thoughts and feelings, and what you can do to help them succeed. Being their mentor, and being someone worth looking up to. Being a military leader and a father have made me better at the other. Sometimes my airmen let me know the areas I need to improve, sometimes it’s my toddler. And to be honest, managing both my ‘roles’ can be difficult sometimes. Fortunately for me, I got lucky with my team at home (wife) and at work so when I slip up on my balance, I have those people on either side to help keep me from falling down. That’s just how we operate in the military. We are always there for each other, at least in my experience.
While there’s certainly a balancing act in play, TSgt. Bradford noted that there are benefits to both his roles as a military leader and, naturally, as a father. On the military side of things, and perhaps the most obvious of benefits that many consider when looking into military service themselves, is the educational opportunity.
Typically opted for throughout the training period, the Armed Forces and Air Force specifically have partnered with many industry leading businesses and universities to open education opportunities for service members. The opportunities come in the form of program access as well as scholarship or sponsorship opportunities allowing members to achieve their own individual educational goal.
Additionally, there are organizations like the Military and Family Support Center that offer tons of information and access to programs for military members and their families. Be you a service member, a family member of one, or have friends or relatives connected to the service, you can explore more about these programs at: militaryonesource.mil.
On the familial side of things, the rewards for his role as a husband and father are better in the words of the TSgt. Bradford himself.
As cliché as it sounds, being married to your best friend makes the menial parts of life so much more fun. I used to convince myself that I was “hard” and couldn’t empathize with others because I was a logical person. What I really was, was an apathetic asshole. Being a husband and subsequently, a father, changed that. I was so happy that I cried at my wedding when my bride walked down the aisle. I cried even harder when we lost our first child. And the best days of my life were when my two daughters were born. Have you ever smiled while crying so hard that your face muscles were sore the next day? That’s what it was like to see and hold my children for the first time. Seeing them grow and achieve milestones is pure bliss every day for me. Seeing them sick or when they get a “boo boo” is pure misery. The most rewarding thing I’ve experienced as a husband/father is my personal growth in becoming a more emotionally intelligent person. I believe that my wife and children are the primary force behind me becoming a better human.
Though comparatively less important to his hats as a Technical Sergeant and Father, TSgt. Bradford also wears the hat of a Gamer. A simple one that we’re all very familiar with. But when worn in the context of the Air Force, there are unique opportunities to connect and explore the gaming scene from within the military.
If you haven’t given it a read already, I’ll encourage you to give our highlight piece of Master Sergeant “Jenes” Nesle and Dignitas’ own Emuhleet a read through. This piece dives into some of the finer details about the United States Air Force Gaming program, and how it’s utilized as a connection and outreach program for service members. Having become an essential piece in resiliency and support, especially during COVID, many Air Force members have found themselves staying in contact with friends and loved ones through the scene, and TSgt. Bradford is no exception to that. Though he admits he did show a little hesitancy to the idea at first.
A very good friend of mine is part of the Air Force gaming leadership team and he got me involved when AFG was more or less an idea. He would pitch some ideas and if I am honest, I told him that an Air Force-centric gaming league would be a waste of time. Well, here we are a couple of years later and I can’t be happier to say that I couldn’t have been more wrong. The highlights for me have definitely been the community and relationship building. I’ve linked up with some gamers for a few rounds of Warzone or R6 that ended up developing into a professional working relationship. It’s always more fun to discuss work while playing games than it is at the office.
As a Technical Sergeant, Father, and Gamer, there have naturally been many challenges in TSgt. Bradford’s life. Some seem simple, but are taxing emotionally and mentally. Such as the strict hours of his work that limits the time he gets to share with his family, others would be daunting without the training and support he receives from his fellow service members and family. Especially those that he experienced on the frontlines. One challenge that served as both the most challenging and rewarding event of his career stuck out to him in particular.
Deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom has been the most challenging event of my military service. Period. I had to change my entire life. Aside from the obvious parts about leaving your family and friends and the dangers associated with being in an active warzone, I had to leave the stability of my daily schedule. Things that I enjoyed were non-existent or degraded. I had to develop a completely new way to live and that’s honestly a lot harder than it sounds. And yet I knew, the mission that I took part in was immensely important to Afghanistan and its people. What I did personally was a small piece of the mission, but I could see the direct impact to the larger mission. That larger mission being the development of a judicial system where incarcerated Afghan citizens would have a trial in front of a jury of their peers instead of the US Military; very similar to our system in America and other developed countries. While that was an oversimplification of what we did over there, that was the gist of my activity.
At the end of it all though, through the challenges, the triumphs, the laughs, and the tears, TSgt. Bradford had this to say for those that, like him, are wearing a ton of different hats and are struggling to manage it all.
You can never do it all, so find what matters the most to you and prioritize it. Re-evaluate these priorities often and don’t be scared to try something new.
“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
-Jake the Dog
