Waukon native achieves prestigious rank in the United States Air Force

Waukon High School 2003 graduate Andrea (Blocker) Scheving promoted to Chief Master Sergeant

by David M. Johnson

Women of today continue to smash glass ceilings, whether in business and industry, sports, politics, science, the military, and many other realms. Some of these accomplishments are monumental, like being awarded a Nobel Prize in Science or most recently, being elected as Vice President of the United States. Others may not ever make the nightly news, but are still well beyond worthy of all the honor and recognition their achievements may provide.

Waukon native Andrea (Blocker) Scheving is one of those individuals who has, literally, worked her way up the ranks to the rarefied air of achievement that only a limited few experience. Making a career in the U.S. Air Force, the 2003 graduate of Waukon High School was recently honored with an achievement only one percent of all enlisted Airmen ever receive, being promoted to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant.

SMALL TOWN BEGINNING
The daughter of the late Richard “Dick” Blocker and Dawn Feaker (previously Blocker and Burrett), Andrea Blocker lived the life of small town Waukon growing up. Besides playing or hanging out with friends and classmates, she had the company of her sisters, Stephanie and Sarah, and her brother, Michael, while enjoying what small town rural Iowa has to offer. She attended St. Patrick Elementary School in Waukon, then progressed to Waukon Middle School and graduated from Waukon High School in 2003.

After school, the former Andrea Blocker had to make some decisions on what path she wanted to take to have a fulfilling and rewarding life. After contemplating several possibilities, she spoke to an Air Force recruiter, where she was offered a number of different challenges and specialties that intrigued her. Her aspirations were to join the military to try something different, and what the Air Force had to offer assisted in her making the decision in choosing the route of military service.

DISTINGUISHED CAREER UNFOLDS
As a new member of the U.S. Air Force, the recently graduated Blocker immediately witnessed the many diverse opportunities that were offered by her new home. After entering the Air Force in July 2003 as an Airman Basic, she completed air traffic control training at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB) in Mississippi in 2004. Through the years she attended Airman Leadership School in England, was recognized as a distinguished graduate (top 10% of her class) and received an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Airway Science at the Community College of the Air Force at Maxwell AFB in Alabama in 2008.

In 2014, she attended an instructional systems design course at Sheppard AFB in Texas. Additionally, in 2014 she also attended the Noncommissioned Officer Academy where she was again recognized as a distinguished graduate.

Her professional educational opportunities continued with an Air Traffic Control Chief Controller Course, along with the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy where she was again a distinguished graduate, part of her Air Force training over the last 10 years. As she traveled the country and the world, stationed from Mississippi, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas and South Dakota to overseas destinations at South Korea, the United Kingdom, Iraq and the Azores, Portugal, her service accumulated a number of awards and decorations.

NUMEROUS HONORS
Some of the major honors received by Scheving during her career include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Outstanding Airman of the Year Medal, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. She was an Honor Graduate, Basic Military Training and has been awarded several Operations Support Squadron Airman of the Year, Air Traffic Controller of the Year and Air Traffic Controller Manager of the Year commendations, plus numerous times has been nominated for the Operations Group Lance P. Sijan Senior Enlisted Leadership Award. With the awards, decorations and other achievements, she has garnered some two dozen in total.

An individual with such an illustrious career is also obviously noticed by her commanders for advancement in rank possibilities. From an Airman Basic, Scheving has been promoted through the ranks to Airman, Airman First Class, Senior Airman, Staff Sergeant, Technical Sergeant, Master Sergeant, and then Senior Master Sergeant in 2018. As 2020 was entering its final month, her prestigious career took yet another step forward with her most recent promotion that only one percent of noncommissioned Airmen ever achieve, that of Chief Master Sergeant.

STILL THE SAME PERSON
As profound a promotion in rank as her latest achievement is, Chief Master Sergeant Scheving feels she is not much different than she was when she left Waukon some 17 years ago. She credits those around her through the years for providing the support and opportunities in achieving what she has.

“Ever since joining the military, I have had great supervisors and leaders who have taken care of me. I have always been challenged to perform at a rank higher than I currently held,” observed Chief Master Sergeant Scheving. “When given these opportunities, I never worried about what other people were doing. I focused on taking care of the Airmen and the mission. Additionally, as I transitioned to the Senior Noncommissioned Officer corps, I always strived to leave a place better than I found it - whether that was process changing, helping other organizations and/or improving the morale of the Airmen.”

STILL MORE TO ACHIEVE
A Chief Master Sergeant is appointed by the Air Force Chief of Staff and serves as the senior enlisted advisor to Commanders at key levels of Command, such as the Air Force Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Air Force, on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale and proper utilization and progress of the enlisted force.

Scheving hopes one day to be a Wing Command Chief Master Sergeant. From the support of her team, family members, friends and previous military members, this goal appears to be attainable, as Scheving has shown the ability to meet challenges head on and the fortitude to overcome any obstacles that her future might hold.

HASN’T DONE IT ALONE
Chief Master Sergeant Scheving wants all to know that if it wasn’t for her husband, Tom, Air Force retired, all her accomplishments would have been more difficult to achieve. Also, her mother, Dawn, would often times help to take care of their son, Trystin, when she and Tom were away on assignment.

She is not hesitant to give thanks to all of her previous supervisors, mentors and members of her Air Force team. Working with all the great people over the years has made it both enjoyable and inspiring, never leaving any doubt that she made the right choice to be part of the United States Air Force.

With all the numerous positives throughout her Air Force career, Chief Master Sergeant Scheving says some stand out more than others. There was meeting her amazing husband, Tom, and giving birth to their son, Trystin, that top the list.

Her many positives also include the deployments to Iraq, her many travels around the globe and the interactions with other servicemen and women in the Air Force. She has witnessed the cadre of amazing and dedicated individuals, and had the fortune of so many positive experiences that only a career in the military could offer.

Chief Master Sergeant Scheving believes there has been only one real negative about her career, and that was her absence from family when she was deployed for extended periods of time. However, even this negative was turned into a positive as she would take the time to focus on herself and the surrounding culture that was part of her assignment during deployment.

If there is anything that this Waukon native has learned, it is that one can do anything they put their mind to. She wants all the young girls back home in Waukon to know, if they work hard, are resilient and persevere when challenged, the outcome will be positive.

“Joining the military is one of the best choices I have made, and I would recommend that anyone who has a desire to do something different, challenging and rewarding should consider the Air Force,” she shared.

Sounds like solid advice from Waukon native now Chief Master Sergeant Andrea Scheving.