Retired CMSAF travels world for bluesuiters

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Beverly Isik
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LAJES FIELD, Azores (AFPN) --  Logging more temporary duty hours per year than many deployed airman, retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Robert Gaylor travels to the far corners of the world.

Some people might call him crazy, but the fifth chief master sergeant of the Air Force said he has been to the ends of the world and would do it all again if someone in blues was waiting at the other end.

The chief traveled here to speak at the enlisted dining-out recently. The 11-hour trip here from his home in San Antonio was a "short hop" compared to the 44-hour trip he made last year to Woomera, Australia, where he gave a 30-minute talk at a leadership school graduation.

Last year, the chief visited more than 40 bases, averaging three or four days per base for about 150 days total.

"I'm virtually impossible to wear out," he said. "But if you did wear me out, I wouldn't let on."

His motivation stems from his love for the Air Force and the importance he places on each person's contribution to the "big picture."

"I want to go to places where airmen will say, 'You came all this way for me?' So I can say, 'Sure. Why not? You're important,'" he said.

His message is clear: "Appreciate your accomplishments and never lose sight of your contributions and how important you are to the overall scheme of things."

Gaylor retired from the Air Force 24 years ago, but said he is still not ready to let go.

"It may sound corny, but I cannot imagine my life without the Air Force," he said. "The Air Force of today is superb, and I just want to contribute to that."

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, stepped up the chief's commitment to travel and share his stories with airmen worldwide. On a plane bound for Dallas when the attacks occurred, the chief said he was numb when he heard the news.

"I couldn't fathom what had just happened. It was horrible. I started traveling immediately. I went to Bolling Air Force Base, Md., a couple of weeks later and started talking to people.

"When I asked them, 'How do you feel about working 12-hour days? How do you feel about being taken out of finance and put into security forces?' Every answer I got was, 'Just doing my job, chief.' That made me feel proud," he said.

In a way, the chief said he feels like he is still on active duty.

"I live in San Antonio, so I'm never far from a blue suit," he said.

Gaylor also has a son who just retired from the Air Force; his nephew, J.T. Gaylor, is an air traffic controller at Luke, AFB, Ariz.; and his grandson, who is a navigator trainer, is stationed at Randolph AFB, Texas.

"With all those connections, I feel like I'm still in," he said. (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service)