In stories, the hero
is often called upon to accomplish a great task or to take on the weight of a
burden they did not anticipate, even though they know that hardships may plague
every step of their journey. For storytellers, joy often comes from seeing the
hero overcome the many obstacles placed in front of them to emerge strong and
victorious against the odds.
Air Force Senior
Airman Brian McLean is the author of such stories. He is also, in his own way,
the hero.
As a 11th Space
Warning Squadron Future Operations Flight staff instructor, McLean has been
handed some heavy responsibility of his own, becoming the main point of contact
for all things HEO-3, the newest highly elliptical orbit satellite in the Space
Based Infrared System.
"It's very
exciting to be in charge of something like this," McLean said. "At
the time I didn't really think much of it. I thought, 'Cool, I'll get some
regular hours, get off shift, you know, do something more than just the routine
day to day.' To find out that you're going to be the point of contact for
everything HEO-3 is kind of terrifying."
Handling Military Responsibilities
Aside from being the
main point of contact for getting HEO-3 operational, McLean was also
responsible for developing and implementing the training program for space
operators working with HEO-3, as well as designing their evaluation system. For
him, one of the most humbling aspects was that his leadership put their faith
in him.
"To be completely
trusted to handle all of this, at a senior airman level, that is just insane to
me," McLean said, "Having that kind of role and responsibility has
been eye-opening. I've been in the military four years and this is where I am
right now. That's unheard of for someone at my level, so low on the totem pole.
It's intense."
Not only did he head
up this initiative, but McLean had an enormous impact on the overall mission.
He ensured that HEO-3 was not only operational within one year of launching,
but also two years ahead of schedule, securing one more piece of the space
based missile warning mission. It's an accomplishment he is quite proud of.
"The amazing
thing is HEO-3 shouldn't even be doing anything right now. It should just be up
there, waiting for us to launch HEO-4, so we can take HEO-1 and 2 and do other
things with them,” McLean said. “So the fact that it's up in the air and
actively in operation right now is great. It really is a point of pride to
actually sit back, now that we have HEO-3 up and running and the operators I've
trained are actually performing the mission. It's exhilarating."
Air Force Staff Sgt.
Tim Lukenbaugh, the noncommissioned officer in charge of future operations and
McLean's supervisor, says having an airman like him is a vital asset to the
mission and makes his job all the more enjoyable.
"It's easy. He
just goes," Lukenbaugh said. "You give him one thing, and he'll do
everything you tell him to do better than you ask for. No arguing, no
complaining, no negativity. You talk to any leadership in our squadron and
they'll give you the same answer: I'll do anything for that guy. That's the
kind of reputation he has."
A Head Full of Ideas
Operations and
training aren't the only thing McLean authors. He is also a passionate writer,
having minored in creative writing in college. Despite the high-speed work
environment of his job, he still finds the time to practice what he loves.
"I have a great
idea in my head and I need to get it out, that way I can breathe, exhale, walk
away and do something else," McLean said. "It's always something I've
been passionate about. I'd love to write a book someday, even if it is just
some project on the side."
McLean treats his
writing just as seriously as he treats his work, devoting himself to it with
passion and drive.
"When I'm in the
zone, I don't even notice the sun come up, I don't notice the sun go
down," McLean said. "I'm completely in the moment for that story.
When you actually get done with it, and you physically have something in front
of you that you're proud of, it's a great feeling."
McLean is proud of the
work he's done, and has confidence in the work he has yet to do. In a career
field that often deals with spacecraft thousands of miles away, he says having
something tangible to see is encouraging.
"It's hard to
shake that feeling of accomplishment when you sit there and see all the work
just paid off. That's where it is, right there,” he said. “When I write a
story, it's the exact same way. I did something, I accomplished something that
is my own voice, no one's ever going to replicate it the same way I do."
Whether he's creating
plans for new space operators or a new fictional world, McLean can rest easy
knowing he not only can create a hero, but be one as well.