Air Force Space Command’s enlisted personnel bestowed the Order of the Sword upon Gen. Lance W. Lord, Air Force Space Command commander, Feb. 11.

The Order of the Sword is the highest honor enlisted Airmen can bestow on a leader.

More than 500 active-duty and retired enlisted Airmen gathered from the command and included, as guest speaker, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray.

“You have chosen wisely,” the chief master sergeant of the Air Force said. “General Lord has made a very positive impression as the leader of Air Force Space Command over the past four years -- but he’s done that through every level of his career.”

He added that the general’s commitment to developing Airmen by making it a command focus has echoed throughout the higher echelons of the Air Force.

“General Lord knows Airmen are (the Air Force’s) greatest asset,” he said. “His dedication is visible throughout the command. There is no one better deserving of this honor.”

“Our United States Air Force, and yes, our great nation, is truly blessed when endowed with leaders who possess insight, wisdom and the ability to inspire in people the determination to pursue and achieve the highest goals, accomplishments and values,” said Chief Master Sgt. Ron Kriete, the command chief master sergeant of AFSPC. “General Lord is a great leader, a great general, and more importantly, a great gentleman.”

As he took the podium to offer a short, heartfelt speech, the general responded to the honor bestowed upon him.

“From my first assignment at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, where ‘only the chosen are frozen,’ I have been in the care of Airmen,” General Lord said.

He also paid his respects to Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Murray, Chief Kriete and to all the enlisted Airmen who guided him throughout his career, including senior enlisted advisors and command chiefs.

“I tell you, it’s a dumb general who doesn’t listen to his chief,” General Lord said. “Thank you all for this prestigious honor…I sincerely appreciate it.”

General Lord is the eighth recipient of the Order of the Sword in AFSPC since the command’s inception in 1982.

The Order of the Sword is an ancient ceremony patterned after an order of chivalry founded during the middle ages. Non-commissioned officers conduct the ceremony to honor leaders who have made significant contributions to the enlisted corps. During the ceremonies, they would present the leader with a sword. The sword, historically is a symbol of truth, justice, and power rightfully used. The first recorded use of it in America was in the 1860s when Gen. Robert E. Lee was presented a sword by his command. Air Force NCOs revived, revised and adopted the Order of the Sword ceremony in 1967.