Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray led his last Worldwide Command Chief’s Conference here April 21-26, meeting with command chiefs from around the Air Force to exchange information and discuss challenges facing today’s Airmen.

During the 12th annual conference, the chief took time to reflect on his 29 years of service. As he looks toward his retirement ceremony June 30, Chief Murray recalls an Air Force career that has been rewarding, exciting and went farther than he could have imagined it would.
 
“For a guy who joined the service because he needed a job to end up chief master sergeant of the Air Force is far more than I ever expected,” Chief Murray said. “What I’m most proud of in my career was having the privilege and opportunity to lead and represent the more than 440,000 enlisted members of the service … the greatest Airmen in the world.” 

The chief graduated high school in 1974 and went to college at North Carolina State University. He said he “wasn’t ready for college” and dropped out after the second semester. Returning home, he worked in construction, building houses.

After two years of working in a depressed economy, he entered the Air Force in 1977, because, as he said, “I needed a job.” He didn’t expect to make the Air Force a career; however, he readily adapted to the lifestyle.
 
Speaking of the quality of the service, Chief Murray said he has seen great change in the Air Force since he entered. He said the enlisted force of today is “truly a better corps” than it was then and he attributes much of the change to efforts of those who came before him. 

“To paraphrase President Truman, ‘We serve on the shoulders of giants,’ and because of their leadership today’s Airmen are better educated, trained and the most experienced in the history of the Air Force,” Chief Murray said.
 
He said before becoming chief master sergeant of the Air Force, there were two great events in his life. The first was marrying his wife, Sherry, and the second was joining the Air Force.

“(My wife) has been a great inspiration for me throughout my career,” Chief Murray said. “She is the most supportive and caring person I know, but she can be as tough as a (military training instructor) when she thinks it’s needed.” 

Regarding his decision to join the service, he said no one in his family before his generation served a full military career. Now he and three first cousins have completed or are serving careers. His family readily accepted his decision to join.
 
Other family members, specifically four uncles and two great-uncles, served during World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam. Two of his uncles were seriously injured.

“My family is very patriotic and considered my choice as honorable,” the chief said. 

Chief Murray said upon joining the Air Force, he “requested to be in a front-line position as a fighter maintenance crewchief.” The Air Force gave him what he wanted from the outset of his career. He worked on “three great fighter aircraft,” the F-4 Phantom, F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II and had eight maintenance assignments during that segment of his career. 

At the height of the Cold War, Chief Murray served on a Victor Alert Pad in Turkey, then transitioned to the A-10 aircraft at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, S.C. From there he deployed to Desert Shield and Desert Storm. 

“Desert Storm was a monumental moment in my career because the Air Force gave me the opportunity to use my leadership and management skills, directing Airmen and aircraft combat turn operations at a forward operating base,” he said. “That assignment led to a Bronze Star, the General Lew Allen Trophy and ultimately my promotion to chief master sergeant.” 

Chief Murray said he had set a goal for himself as a staff sergeant that if he stayed in the Air Force, he was going to make chief. Once he made chief, his next goal was to be superintendent of a fighter squadron, which he fulfilled at Moody AFB, Ga. He never really wanted to be a command chief, or senior enlisted advisor as they were called at the time, nor seriously entertained the idea of being chief master sergeant of the Air Force. 

“Becoming a chief was a highlight of my career, but I had a lot to learn,” he said. “I was happily ‘stove-piped’ in maintenance, until Brigadier General L.D. Johnston ‘pulled me off’ the flightline to be his SEA. As a command chief I found myself having to deal with much broader aspects of the Air Force.” 

Chief Murray handled it well and moved from the wing level to a numbered Air Force to command chief of the Pacific Air Forces before being selected chief master sergeant of the Air ForceAF, when CMSAF Jim Finch retired in 2002. He thought his limited time in service (less than 25 years) and position (eight months) was too short to be selected to the highest enlisted position, however, General John Jumper, then chief of staff of the Air Force, saw it differently. 

“Once selected, I stepped forward to do the best I could, to deal with the challenges that came with it and learn the in and outs of the job as quickly as possible,” he said. “One thing I didn’t know was that General Jumper was going to make my first priority his new ‘Fit to Fight’ fitness program and that was going to be a real challenge.” 

The chief believes the Air Force has made great strides in embracing fitness as a lifestyle.

“It’s not about passing a test,” Chief Murray said. “It’s about leading healthier lives and being ready for combat. Today we see many more Airmen and units running and working out together. Our fitness center usage is up 30 percent. People’s lifestyles are changing and we are a force for it.” 

An accomplishment Chief Murray is especially proud of, one that took him three years to achieve, was getting chief master sergeant positions authorized at the group level. 

“I believe the group is such an important organizational level for combat readiness and operational success. A dedicated chief is clearly warranted to serve under a colonel, lead and manage resources in the group,” he said. “Some of my colleagues didn’t agree with me, and that’s all right. The chiefs now assigned to groups across the Air Force, especially those deployed in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, are proving this decision to be right.” 

He also feels by increasing chiefs' service commitments to three years time in grade, and limiting assignment tenures for those at higher headquarters and special duties, have improved the leadership and management of the top 1 percent of the enlisted corps. 

Regarding force management, Chief Murray said he advocated for the use of every available tool to shape and balance the force. Career job reservations, NCO retraining program, promotion redistributions and use of critical skills retention bonuses are just a few of the tools he pushed to implement or better use.

Additionally, he called for a more deliberate approach to developing Airmen capabilities through their education, training and experience. Like those before him, his goal is to ensure the enlisted force of tomorrow is much better than today. 

“I took it upon myself that a primary part of my job as CMSAF was to make our enlisted corps a better combat ready force,” he said. “When I arrived four years ago, I told the staff and faculty of the College of Enlisted Professional Military Education, ‘I won't tell you how to do your job, but you must inculcate a warrior ethos throughout PME.’

"I’m pleased to see that Lt. Gen. Stephen Lorenz, Air University commander, has included that message, and examples, in his mission briefs today. More so, I’m proud of the changes I’ve seen across the board; from an expanded Basic Military Training, vigorous Airmen and NCO Leadership Schools and Academies, to enhanced base-level training and exercises, we’ve come a long way in these past four years. Coupled with our combat expeditionary experience, we’re clearly the best fighting force we’ve ever been.” 

Chief Murray said his career, “as with all things, has had highs and lows.” There have been challenges and sacrifices, and his wife and three children have sacrificed the most. 

“It’s hard to put into words just how good the Air Force has been to me,” he said. “My four years as CMSAF has been extremely rewarding. It expanded my friendships and allowed me to travel to places and meet people the world over … a career that is an Airman’s dream.” 

As for what’s next in his life, Chief Murray said at this time he really doesn’t have any hard plans for the future. He’s looking at several opportunities, to include continuing his education, or working for a company with values like our Air Force's. He also plans to build a house “with his own two hands” and hike the entire Appalachian Trail. 

“One has to balance one’s life and every life has seasons. The past four years have been a season of being away from home too often; now I owe my family a season of spending a lot more time with them,” he said. “One thing is for sure, though, regardless where we move next, someday, I will retire in the hills of North Carolina.” 

Chief Murray officially retires as the 14th chief master sergeant of the Air Force on Oct. 1, 2006.