It takes 10 minutes in the presence of Col. David Kumashiro, out-going commander of McChord Field's 62nd Airlift Wing, to know he's not an egomaniac.  Self-deprecating, humble, on the margins of extroversion, Kumashiro prefers to use the "we" than the "me."  He also employs the word "team" so often that his staff teases him about it.

And this from a man who spent the past two years in command in front of the camera ... his own.

To know Kumashiro is probably to have had your face on Facebook one, maybe 10 times.  The popular social media platform is Kumashiro's bulletin board where on a near daily basis, he posted selfies with his "team" from one end of McChord to the ... Antarctic, and all points in between, highlighting his airman, spouses, civilian employees, and community supporters at work supporting the Air Force.  It became such a "thing," that at Kumashiro's farewell dinner last week, he was presented a photo of a C-17 flying in front of Mt. Rainier made from hundreds of his own selfies.

While people enjoyed his photos, and often razzed him about them, something else was underfoot during this time that shouldn't be missed.  Kumashiro taught all of us a powerful lesson in leadership.  Taking a popular social media tool, and a trend (the selfie) that his young airman could relate to, he did what good leaders do - he created a way to get on the level of his people; show them that he was one of them; and honored them for their service and efforts by recognizing that they had an important role to play in Team McChord's mission and its core values.  

Who doesn't like to be recognized?  In fact, according to one McChord official, airmen across the base strategized how they could get the boss to take a selfie with them ... that's how important they became.

"The selfie was a way to connect us all," Kumashiro said Tuesday in his office, during a quick break from his busy process to turn the reigns of the wing over to Col. Leo Kosinski Friday morning during a change of command ceremony.  "It's not an ego thing.  It was really reflecting on what our airmen are doing.  It allowed me an opportunity to engage with them.  It was something I really enjoyed."

Leaders often struggle to encourage their employees to lower their guard and shake out the nerves.  A thousand good ideas exist within the ranks - solutions to big and small problems.  For a commander to learn those, he or she needs "the team" to feel comfortable and secure to share those ideas.  Kumashiro said, although not deliberate when he started, he quickly learned that the selfie helped his airmen "to be themselves," and that made him a better commander.

"I felt such a camaraderie," he said of this process. "We all share a common bond as airmen."

It is not often a military leader provides us a near daily glimpse of the men and women serving our nation.  Thanks to Kumashiro's selfies, we have a better idea what it takes to run an airlift wing, and who exactly it is turning the wrenches and flying the planes.  Admittingly, that's not the style of most people.  

"It is such a privilege to serve our airmen," Kumashiro added.  "I wish I had the time to go back and blank out my face in all of those selfies, so we'd have a true record of all that I saw while I was here.  That's what it's been about."