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The Chief: Your charge is to serve others
Posted 4/1/2011
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Commentary by Brigadier General Joseph S. Ward Jr.
Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller
4/1/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Chief was in charge of a large maintenance unit as the senior enlisted member. He had several hundred young Airmen serving with him. The Chief lived a life of servant leadership, always looking out for his troops and always willing to lend a hand to his fellow Airmen. The Chief was proud of his reputation as being approachable and Airmen always felt at ease in seeking his sage advice and assistance.
On one particular day, an Airman asked the Chief for some help. That would be the very last day the Chief served on active duty. It was a gut-wrenching feeling, not being able to help a fellow Airman. The Chief has never told me what the Airman asked for, but for whatever reason, the Chief was not able to help the young Airman. The Chief knew in his heart that he could not continue to serve our great Air Force if he was not able to help others.
I met the Chief some 26 years ago when I was a young lieutenant and I was dating his daughter. The Chief's daughter caught my eye and quickly captured my heart. Soon thereafter, I asked the Chief for permission to marry his daughter and the Chief gave me his blessing and offered some advice that has served me well throughout my 27 years of service.
He said, "Son, take good care of my daughter and take good care of the young Airmen you serve with. You have a wonderful opportunity should you decide to make the Air Force a career. Take advantage and go out and help others."
Pretty straight-forward advice from a wise chief.
What I didn't realize then was how much I would I grow to respect, appreciate and learn from my father-in-law. When I met the Chief, he had been retired from the Air Force for a number of years, but his love for service continued to burn inside and that fire is still burning today.
My wife and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary while I was TDY at the Naval Postgraduate School. Fortunately, my wife was able to join me in Monterey to celebrate the big event. Coincidentally, my wife's parents reside in Sacramento, where the Chief retired from active duty. The ride from Monterey was only about three hours. It was great to get a chance to visit with the Chief. He still loves to tell stories about his days serving our great nation. He still likes to mentor his son-in-law who is now a general officer, but who, in his mind, has much to learn and plenty of room for improvement.
While visiting with the Chief this past summer, he reminded me of why he served for 28 years, 6 months and 4 days. The Chief had planned on serving 30 years, but the day he was not able to help one of his troops would be his very last day on active duty.
He has told me repeatedly, "When you are through helping others, you are through period."
There is no reason to continue serving if you are not willing and/or able to help others.
On that fateful day, the Chief simply went to visit the orderly room and asked to put in his letter of resignation. The clerk put together the form and the Chief went directly to his commanding officer to ask for his permission to retire that very day. The Chief drove through the gates of the base for the last time as an active-duty Airman. He did not have a ceremony to honor his service. There would be no parade. He simply decided after 28 years, 6 months and 4 days, it was time to pass the torch and allow someone else an opportunity to help others while serving this great nation.
The Chief left school at age 14. At the time, the world was at war. Most of the Chief's older friends had left the small rural town of Laurel, Mississippi to join the war effort. To the Chief, this was a great adventure waiting to happen; he desperately wanted to join and begin serving. The Chief lied about his age when he was 15 and was denied entry into the Navy. The next year, he lied again at age 16 and was once again denied. The following year at age 17, the Navy finally agreed to let him join, and off he went to basic training.
Soon thereafter, the Chief found himself serving on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific as a mechanic in the ship's engine room. The Chief found his "calling;" he loved serving in the Navy. It was 1944 and the end of the war was soon in sight. The Chief completed his service and was discharged at the end of the war. Like many of our returning service members, the Chief returned to his hometown where he found a job that paid 25 cents an hour.
After a couple of years back home in Mississippi, the Chief ran into one of his friends who had heard about a brand new service that was looking for a few recruits. A quick trip to the Air Force recruiter's office, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. The Chief was back serving his country; this time as an Airman. The year was 1947.
By chance, the Chief was assigned to Wheeler Field in Honolulu and he was back serving in the Pacific. Life was good as a young Airman. He was a crew chief in charge of repairing P47s, an airplane he still loves today. He met his lovely bride in Honolulu and they got married the day after the Air Force's first anniversary, Sept. 18, 1948. They have been married for 62 years. The Chief had several successful assignments in the years to follow and served in the Korean conflict as well as Vietnam.
He enjoys sharing his stories of what it was like to serve in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. He said, when he was serving, there was only one shift in those days. It didn't matter if the planes were flying day or night, he was on the flight line with his tool box in hand to make sure the airplanes were fit to fly. He often slept in the hangars when the unit was preparing for a major exercise or preparing for combat. He didn't mind. He was living his dream, and he was enjoying his time in the Air Force.
Although it has been four decades since the Chief retired, his love of service continues. His message and example of helping others is timeless. He never looked for credit. He was only interested in serving. His sole purpose was to help his fellow Airmen. For those who struggle with knowing when to retire, take a lesson from the Chief: keep serving as long as you can and are willing to help others. We can learn so much from the Chief. I am glad to share his story. Please pass it on. |
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| Mike Solon Retired, Ohio |
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| Tony Rotz, Zimmerman Mn |
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| jeff, saint paul mn |
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