Air Force hero illustrates the importance of enlisted force

  • Published
  • By Chrissy Cuttita
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Holding the honorable title of first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force was the greatest thing to happen in Paul Airey's life.

Second was having the NCO Academy here named after him.

Because of his background, Air Force officials asked him to provide a comment about the enlisted force that would be etched forever on the walls of the new Air Force Memorial in Washington. This was the third greatest thing to happen in his life.

"When I think of the enlisted force, I think of dedication, determination, loyalty and valor," said the retired chief, who was on the Air Force Memorial Foundation committee for 14 years. "By dedication and determination, do your duty and get the job done. Be loyal to fellow Airmen, the Air Force and our country. Have valor to defend our nation at all costs."

He described the memorial as something he feels strongly about. The enlisted corps is represented by the bronze statue of an Honor Guard detail, according to Chief Airey. The three spires shooting off to the heavens represent the core values.

"These values should be taught and lived," he said. "I usually tell Airmen two four-letter words, zeal and duty. If you follow those, you cannot go wrong."

Education levels of today's Airmen amaze the retired Chief. When he joined he hadn't finished high school. Today he sees the education level of the enlisted corps surpassing the level of some officers.

"Looking back 64 years when I enlisted, I'm continually amazed by today's enlisted corps," said Chief Airey. "Enlisted NCOs are doing what field grade officers used to do. They are the envy of foreign air forces all over the world that have captains and majors doing what our Airmen do."

The Air Force hero speaks fondly of his own memories in uniform. He remembers basic radio operations school in 1942 at Scott Field, Ill. and being on a "troop train" bound for Panama City in 1943 to train at an aerial gunnery school here. He remembers how World War II citizen soldiers, who were "amateurs" compared to how Airmen are trained today, became America's greatest generation.

"In the 485th Bomb Group, which was comprised similar to a wing today, there may have been half a dozen officers and 10-12 NCOs who came out of the regular Army. But all of the rest - pilots, navigators, bombardiers, bakers, cooks, gunners - were draftees or enlistees who quickly formed, trained, sent off to war and won ," said Chief Airey.

During World War II, he served as an aerial gunner on B-24 bombers, and is credited with 28 combat missions in Europe. After he was forced to bail out of his flak-damaged aircraft, he was captured and became a prisoner of war in Germany from July 1944 to May 1945.

Upon liberation, Chief Airey had a serious decision to make - to stay in the military or leave.

"I liked it," he said. "There was something about it I wanted. I came off leave and reenlisted."

For six years after that, he instructed at the school he attended for radio operator training. During the Korean conflict, he was awarded the Legion of Merit while assigned at Naha Air Base, Okinawa. The award, an uncommon decoration for an enlisted man, was earned for creating a means of constructing equipment from salvaged parts that improved corrosion control of sensitive radio and radar components.

Chief Airey spent much of his 27-year career as a first sergeant.

"Of all the jobs I had in the Air Force, next to being Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, I think first sergeant was probably the best," said Chief Airey. "I liked it. I liked the discipline part of it. I liked being able to counsel and lead. You never knew what was going to happen, day or night."

He shares his career experiences with Airmen today. He has been actively involved in speaking at every class that graduates Tyndall's Airman Leadership School and NCOA since he retired from the Air Force Aug. 1, 1970.

"Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Airey is a great hero, a trailblazer for the enlisted corps and a great, humble man," said Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Schwenk, NCOA commandant during the Paul W. Airey NCO Academy dedication ceremony in December.

During his speech at that dedication ceremony, Chief Airey said he was proud of today's Airmen.

"Part of the heritage and tradition to keep in mind that Airmen should always remember is that since the beginning of the Air Service, Army Air Corps, the Army Air Force and the U.S. Air Force 34,000 men and women have died in aerial combat for this country," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind that over in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in harm's way at this very moment, there are graduates from NCO academies leading people, counseling Airmen, seeing that airplanes get up in the air, taking care of the sick and everything else Airmen have to do. I'm proud, a little in awe and I'll try never to let you down."

Chief Airey always supported the needs of the enlisted Airmen from the days he was responsible for creating the Weighted Airmen's Promotion System and designing an NCOA, so senior enlisted Airmen could receive more advanced management training, to the many ways he involves himself in the Air Force today.

"I'd like to believe once you are a chief master sergeant you are obligated to stay active even after you retire," said Chief Airey. "I'm as close to the Air Force today as I could possibly be, I just don't put the uniform on every morning."