CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Charleston AFB honored its five newest chief master sergeants at the 2008 Chiefs Recognition Ceremony Saturday at the Charleston Club.
The formal annual ceremony, put on by the Charleston AFB Chiefs' Group, officially brought two reserve and three active duty Airmen into the chiefs' realm. Those inducted into the top enlisted grade were: Chief Master Sgt. James Hobson, 315th Maintenance Squadron; Chief Master Sgt. Jim Hampton, 315th Civil Engineer Squadron; Chief Master Sgt. (Select) Tonia Savidge, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; Chief Master Sgt. (Select) Christopher Riley, 437th Maintenance Group; and Chief Master Sgt. (Select) Michael Lake, 437th Civil Engineer Squadron.
The inductees watched a video presentation throughout the dinner. Following their meal, the former 437th Airlift Wing command chief, Chief Master Sgt. (Retired) Mel Willis, was welcomed to the stage for a special presentation as the guest speaker.
During the official induction portion of the ceremony, Chief Master Sgt. Benson Futrell, 315th Airlift Wing command chief, presented the chiefs' charges, reciting, "Chiefs, your dedication and loyalty to the ideals and traditions of the United States Air Force have set you apart form your peers ... your promotion carries with it greater responsibility, but you have already proven you are capable of handling those responsibilities. More importantly, your promotion to chief master sergeant carries with it obligation. It is an obligation of the highest importance; it encompasses honor, integrity, dedication and trust."
Chief Bernise Belcer, 437th Airlift Wing command chief, finalized the charges by swearing in the new chiefs.
The newly inducted stated they had much help getting to the top but will continue to learn from those around them.
"As a chief, I am looking forward to helping the next generation of leaders, our enlisted and young officer Airmen," said Chief Riley. "I realize that I didn't make it to this point by myself and many leaders along the way have helped me ... especially chiefs. I'm also looking forward to learning from those who came before me. It's worked for me in the past, so why stop now?"
Chief Hobson also stressed the importance of mentors in his Air Force career and his path to chief.
"I always adopted a mentor who I believed was the best at whichever job I was given an opportunity to perform," said Chief Hobson. "Then I tried to mirror those qualities of character and learn the craft I was assigned."
The best part of reaching this point in his career is being in a place to be able to mentor more future leaders, said Chief Riley.
"I am a chief because my supervisors, leaders and mentors saw something in me and gave me opportunities that I wouldn't have had on my own," said Chief Riley.
After being inducted into the highest enlisted tier, Chief Hobson explained how the best part of his career is helping the Airmen around him.
"I never thought about making chief until I was given the opportunity to serve as a senior non-commissioned officer and when I made senior master sergeant and was given more opportunities to lead," Chief Hobson said. "I then believed it was attainable. I look forward to the opportunity to have more input on quality of life issues for the Airmen for which I am responsible."
Although it was not highlighted in the ceremony, Saturday also marked the official turnover of the Charleston AFB Chiefs' Group President. Chief Master Sgt. Michael Hairston, 315 MXS, relinquished his year-long presidency to Chief Master Sgt. Denise Mikolajczyk, 437th Mission Support Squadron.