Chief Parish helps honor new chiefs at Spangdahlem

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tammie Moore
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFNEWS) --  The eighth chief master sergeant of the Air Force was among those congratulating seven chief master sergeant selectees during a chiefs' recognition ceremony here Jan. 20.

Retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Sam E. Parish was the guest speaker at the event.

"It is a good hard, tough mission that you have here and you have unbelievable people doing it," said Chief Parish, who had been stationed in Germany more than once during his career. "I wish I could stay for a week and get out and talk to all of the folks."

Spangdahlem Command Chief Master Sgt. Vance Clarke knew Chief Parish would have useful advice to share with the chief selects.

"Chief Parish is a personal friend as well as someone I have a great respect for," Chief Clarke said. "He has been there and done it. He walks the walk and poses hard questions to us all. I knew that he would be a great person to talk to our chief selects and pose challenges and charges to make them better. I also knew he would have a message for all in attendance, and he did."

Senior Master Sgt. Dave McGuigan, from the 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and also a chief select, said there were three key messages he took away from Chief Parish's speech and from his visit.

"(First) was the overriding need to provide sound leadership and top cover for senior and master sergeants so they can in turn take care of the technical and staff sergeants," he said "(Second was the need) to cut to the chase and get away from political correctness, which only tends to cloud the real issue, or worse cover it up; and (third,) that we are not and never should be a one-mistake Air Force.

"We all make mistakes, whether it was a poor personal choice one night at a club or a bad maintenance call on the flightline," said Sergeant McGuigan. "It's how we learn and grow from our mistakes (that) are key to our future success."

"Chief Parish has seen drawdowns, has seen other wars, has seen struggles we have had, and sees that we are still number one," Chief Clarke said. "Having someone with his experience provides great impact and emphasis to an important event as recognizing our new chief selects."

Sergeant McGuigan said being an honoree at the ceremony was an experience he will never forget.

"This ceremony was a humbling event for me," he said. "(It) caused me to reflect on all those chiefs who made a difference in my life. In fact, this weekend I scoured the Internet and found the e-mail address of my first chief when I was stationed at Royal Air Force Alconbury (England) in 1984 -- retired Chief Master Sergeant Rex Keegan. I sent him a personal note of thanks to let him know he made a difference and is in part how I got to where I am now. I only hope that I can make this (difference) in someone's life when I actually assume the rank."

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