8th CMSAF shares his experience and advice

Published May 20, 2011
By Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --       The eighth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force visited Fairchild, speaking at an enlisted call and at the Airman Leadership School May 13.
     Chief Master Sgt. Sam E. Parish, who served as CMSAF from 1983-1986, spoke of the evolution of the Air Force since his time-in-service and how being a good leader is the key to a fitter force.
     "We're proving ourselves in ways we never could have before," he said.
     The heroes of today are working in common career fields that exist in our Air Force. Staff and technical sergeant convoy commanders come back from war zones sounding like pilots with their stories of how many times they were hit and proudly stating "zero deaths." There's not a single job that doesn't become the most important job for the mission at one time or another, Chief Parish said.
     Points like this gave Airmen a sense of pride in the work they do directly contributing to the Air Force mission.
     "His speech was a reality check that the Air Force isn't specifically about your job, but how it affects the Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Ceridwyn Wald, 92nd Communications Squadron. "As a knowledge operator, I felt like a paper pusher, but he made me feel appreciated."
     Chief Parish talked of love for job versus love for Air Force. He told of meeting a crew chief while he was at an awards banquet with the 1st Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Paul Airey. The crew chief said "if I can't be a crew chief, I'm getting out."
     "I thought about that. He came up with his wife and daughter and I asked 'What are you going to do when you get out of the Air Force?' and the wife had tears in her eyes. 'You know they don't have crew chiefs on the outside - do you like being a crew chief or do you like being on the flight line and that aspect of the mission?' This was 10 years ago and he hasn't missed a promotion yet. He's in avionics."
     Before the enlisted call, he stressed this point with Airmen Leadership School.
     "You don't have to be liked to be a great supervisor, but it sure helps," Chief Parish said. "I worked for people who believed in me and made me do things they knew I couldn't do, but they never ever let me fail."
     He advised the future supervisors on just what it means to hold that title and to take advantage of the unique opportunity the Air Force affords them to become fit leaders.
     "Take this course, give it your all, get your stripe and become a better supervisor than the one you have now," he said to Airmen attending ALS here. "Treat your Airmen the way you want to be treated. If your supervisor did something you didn't like, don't do it."
     He also spoke to them about instilling morale.
     "You make your own morale," he said. "You can feel bad or be whatever you want to be, but know that your actions will affect your Airmen's morale."
     Chief Parish exemplified this statement with his simple action of paying a visit to the class.
     "The fact that he came in to share his experience with us during this transition phase in our career was great," said Senior Airman Adam Whiteman, ALS student. "He was very motivating and reinforced that what we're doing here is very important and that we can't skimp on our duties."
     Chief Parish also told both groups about what it means to be a wingman.
     "You need a wingman you can talk to -- found mine -- he was the meanest chief master sergeant I knew," Chief Parish said. "Being a good wingman is being able to tell someone they're wrong."
     This message was well received and Airmen said that to hear it from a CMSAF meant that much more.
     "He reinvigorated the wingman concept for me," said Airman Whiteman. "Being a good wingman is more than putting your name on a card and handing it to another Airman--it's being there for them."
     While Airmen were motivated and inspired by the chief, he continues to be just as impressed by them.
     "I have never in my Air Force career been as proud of our force as I am today," Chief Parish said.

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