5th Air Force command chief speaks at ceremony

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Hailey Davis
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Six senior NCOs celebrated achieving the Air Force's top enlisted rank during a chief recognition ceremony at the Rocker NCO Club Feb. 1.

The six Airmen recognized were Senior Master Sgts. Jennifer Bell, 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron; James Dwyer, 18th Communication Squadron; Ramel Haley, 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; Benjamin Winslow, 18th Aerospace Medicine Squadron; Jeffrey Guilmain, 320th Special Tactics Squadron; and Ronald Harper, 390th Intelligence Squadron.

More than 200 family, friends and coworkers attended the ceremony, which included a cake cutting, a symbolic candle lighting ceremony and a speech from Chief Master Sgt. Douglas McIntyre, U.S. Forces, Japan, and 5th Air Force command chief.

The four-time command chief spoke about the word CHIEFS as an acronym, symbolizing the six qualities he believes a chief master sergeant should have during his or her service in the highest enlisted rank of the Air Force.

CHIEFS stands for credibility, humility, integrity, excellence, faith and family, and sincerity, McIntyre said.

"The chief chevron is going to announce that you have credibility," he said. "In my eyes, you are the representative of the force. You have to have that credibility of being inspiring and believable."

He went on to say the Airmen of the Air Force are the most connected Airmen the world has ever seen.
 
"If you're not credible in their eyes, they are going to look past you and try to find someone who is," Mclntyre said.

The chief also spoke about integrity as part of the Air Force core values.
 
"Integrity is defined as doing the right thing when nobody is watching," he said. "Sometimes, you have to do the right thing, when it's the hard thing to do."

McIntyre defined excellence as using talents or skills one has that surpass ordinary standards. He encouraged the chief master sergeant promotees to use those skills, along with bold leadership, to lead their Airmen to accomplish the mission and take care of their families.
 
"That brings me to faith and family," he said. "You must have faith in yourself, your fellow Airmen, the Air Force and your country. Having faith will inspire others to follow you. With faith, you can get through almost anything."

Chief McIntyre concluded with a reminder to be sincere.

"If you tell someone that you're going to do something for them, go out and do that," he said. "If you can't, circle back to them and tell them why you couldn't. I love being a chief master sergeant in the Air Force, and I love serving."