Several former chief master sergeants of the Air Force came together here Feb. 13 to 15 to meet with Airmen and speak with current service leaders.

Of the 14 Airmen who’ve held the highest enlisted position, nine were present as the group met at both Bolling Air Force Base and the Pentagon.

It’s been 63 years since the first Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Paul W. Airey first enlisted in the service, but he sees the similarity between today’s Airmen and those who served alongside him then.

“The people who served back then had the same drive and determination as the Airmen today,” he said. “The difference is the education and the knowledge today’s young people have. You can talk to an 18- or 19-year-old today about anything, and they have an opinion on everything that’s going on in the world. I had an opinion when I was 18 years old and it involved who was going to win the next baseball pennant, not what was going on in other places of the world.”

He said the education level of today’s senior non-commissioned officers, in most cases, surpasses that of the officer corps he served with in World War II.

“It’s just a different time and society,” he said. “But the level of commitment and dedication is the same.”

Chief Airey also said he likes to share two four-letter words with Airmen he meets. “Don’t worry -- they’re the good kind,” he said.

“I like to tell them about ‘zeal’ and ‘duty’,” he said. “Those are paramount to the higher standards we have in the Air Force.”

Eighth Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Sam Parish agreed and said that the Air Force, while young compared to the other military branches, is rich in its heritage.

“We’re still not old enough to have the traditions [of other services],” he said. But he sees that changing for the Air Force in the future.

“We’re still growing and developing,” he said. “The Air Force culture is constantly changing, and Airmen are beginning to understand the importance of their service and their service’s history. You have to acknowledge your history to understand how far you’ve come.”

Chief Parish said that ever since his retirement from the service, he’s become more and more aware of how the Air Force shaped his life, both in uniform and out.

“My entire 32 years in service was a highlight,” he said. “I like to think that once Air Force, always Air Force.”