CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
The 437th Airlift Wing welcomed a new command chief master sergeant to Charleston AFB Dec. 1.
Command Chief Master Sgt. Mike Ivey, former superintendent at the 97th Mission Support Group, Altus AFB, Okla., replaced Command Chief Master Sgt. Bernise Belcer who left in October. Chief Belcer is now the command chief master sergeant for 19th Air Force Headquarters, Randolph AFB, Texas.
Chief Ivey's first order of business will be to get out and around the base to see how Charleston AFB Airmen accomplish the mobility mission.
"I want to get familiarized with the mission and the people," Chief Ivey said. "They are already doing amazing things to support the war. As I go forward, I also want to ensure Airmen have what they need to accomplish the mission and that we are meeting the needs of the families -- especially those of deployed Airmen."
Also, as the command chief, Chief Ivey will help Col. John "Red" Millander, 437th Airlift Wing commander, move the mobility mission forward by "carrying the 'mail' between Colonel Millander and the enlisted force.
"I will help put his vision out to the enlisted force," said Chief Ivey. "At the same time, I'm responsible to provide feedback to the colonel about the health and welfare of our Airmen so we can help them work smoothly and in the same direction."
While Chief Ivey will be serving as a bridge for information between the colonel and Airmen, he will also be looking at ways to help rectify issues Airmen may come across. He will also bring to the attention of leadership ideas from Airmen on ways to help improve the quality of life on base.
"The biggest thing I can do is listen to them about their concerns and help them with their problems," he said. "I want to identify those issues to leadership and at the same time ... and if not more important, have their ideas looked at and hopefully acted upon."
During Chief Ivey's more than 21-year career in the Air Force, he has served at several levels of the Air Force. Among his numerous assignments, he has served as the NCO in charge of wideband communications, for the 604th Air Support Operations Center Squadron, Camp Red Cloud, Republic of Korea and as chief of the Initial Communications Element, 43rd Communications Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C. He was also deployed to Southwest Asia in November 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
While also serving, Chief Ivey earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland University College and a Master of Science degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
As a communications Airman, Chief Ivey was assigned to several different mobility units which had Airmen from different career fields working within the unit. According to Chief Ivey, this was one part of his career that contributed to him being prepared to be a command chief master sergeant.
"Those types of missions had especially given me insight to the bigger picture versus what just happens in the communications world," he said. "Because I was working in mobility units, it gave me a better understanding of the expeditionary lifestyle we have in the Air Force."
Though Chief Ivey has had a fulfilling Air Force career, his attention is on his current assignment to Charleston AFB.
"I am extremely pleased to be here," Chief Ivey said. "I have been given an opportunity not too many have had, and I am excited to be here. There are so many people to meet and I'm looking forward to doing that."