WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Some careers are all about leading, supporting and mentoring.
What might be seen as ‘just a family tradition’ in leadership is much more when viewed through the career of a leader with a tendency to tap young Airmen on the shoulder and make suggestions that sharpen their focus and leadership potential.
Heidi H. Bullock is a member of the Senior Executive Service, the Director of Contracting at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, and a big ‘L’ leader. She manages contracting policy, processes, people and technology for AFMC.
Bullock began her career with a Reserve Officers' Training Corps commission as an Air Force 2nd Lieutenant. During her 25-year military career, various administrative, missile and acquisition assignments honed her leadership skills.
She followed the initial cadre of women officers to serve on Minuteman II weapon systems and “pulled” 163 alerts at Whiteman Air Force Base. She was also part of the first female Minuteman missile crew and rose to leadership early as the first female standardization/evaluation senior crew commander at the 351st Missile Strategic Wing.
“I was very confident in my abilities as a missileer and was selected to lead, not because I was a woman, but because I was the most technically proficient, a function of my training and expertise,” said Bullock.
Technical proficiency and leadership served as a shield when Bullock, a then captain, evaluated a lieutenant colonel during a standard inspection, resulting in his temporary removal from silo rotation.
“I became aware that my qualifications as a missileer was more important than my gender,” said Bullock.
When asked about a mission in which she was proud, Bullock talked about the reward of working with a multinational division of 22 countries to build up base services during a 2003 deployment to Iraq.
“Being instrumental in the growth of services from burned out latrines, to port-a-potty, and finally to trailers with showers and flushing toilets was very satisfying,” said Bullock.
Yet, she hesitates to speak of a major accomplishment in her career.
“I don’t think in that space because I know nothing is accomplished by one person alone. It’s about the team, not about me,” said Bullock.
Bullock went on to express a hope that the women serving in the Air Force today see that they can absolutely lead and contribute to the mission of the service.
“It takes hard work, commitment, and a support network, but you can absolutely influence the direction the Air Force is taking and positively influence individuals’ lives,” said Bullock.
She believes that it is essential to ‘bring female Airmen along’.
“Girls in elementary school and high school need to be able to look up and say, ‘yes, that’s what I want to strive to be,’” said Bullock.
Prior to her current assignment, Bullock was the Executive Director Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center.
Stopping short of bragging, she threw out the contracting slogan, ‘if you got it, we bought it’.
Today, Bullock uses the greater voice that being an SES affords to make women aware of how critical it is to be the best, “Heidi, Mary, Joan or Ingrid you can be. There is only one of you,” she said
She also practices incorporating the positive aspects of other leaders into her own leadership style.
“I interact a lot in the contracting career field, and I’m a good judge of character,” said Bullock.
The tendency to lead in a service-manner was patterned by Bullock’s family of leaders. She follows a Navy lieutenant grandfather and an Air Force colonel father. Two brothers and an uncle, Army veterans, can also be spied in her immediate family tree which has sprouted another wing of leaders with her husband, daughter and nephew all currently serving in the Air Force civilian service.
And while leadership may be ‘in her blood,’ the emphasis and importance Bullock places on being a positive leadership force in AFMC is so much more.
“I try to reach out and influence the workforce by stressing the value of what each Airman brings to national defense,” said Bullock.