Parting words as 100th ARW command chief bids AF farewell

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Stacia Zachary
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Powell, 100th Air Refueling Wing command chief, sets aside his service uniform Feb. 1, 2013, after donning it for three decades. Since his arrival in July 2008 as the 100th Operations Group superintendent, Powell has continually sought opportunities to stay connected to the Airmen and to champion the issues they hold dear.

When Col. Chad T. Manske, then-commander of the 100thARW, asked the chief to step up into the position of the installation's command chief, Powell saw it as another opportunity to stay in touch with today's Airmen and make the base and the Air Force a better experience all around.

As his Air Force career comes to a close, Powell shares his thoughts on his most memorable moments as an Airman.

Question 1: What will you continue to embrace from your military career once you retire?

Answer 1: I won't shed much at all. I have been in 30 years - the person I've become is Air Force. All the things about our service - our core values - those are who I have become. I believe that I have lived my life according to these principles; to live otherwise wouldn't be true to who I am. Just because I hang up my uniform doesn't mean I'll change. I think the only thing you'll see different about me is what I'm wearing.

Q2.What has been the single most memorable accomplishment in your career?

A2. It's hard to narrow it down to just one accomplishment that's the most memorable. But here are a few that I can think of ... every time I received a promotion line number; becoming a supervisor for the first time; my first contact during air-refueling; my first combat mission; every time someone I've supervised has gotten promoted; and becoming a command chief.

Q3: What have the junior Airmen taught you?

A3: One of my "ah-ha" moments occurred as a technical sergeant during a feedback session. I was really trying to motivate an Airman and do whatever I could to help him become a better professional. At the end of our talk, I asked if there was anything he wanted to share, but I wasn't really prepared for his response. He asked me to not allow negative remarks about him to go on behind his back and to stop it if I heard anything. That caught me off guard. Here was a staff sergeant who needed me to step up and protect him from disparaging comments, and I learned from that experience that there were always things I could do to help out a fellow Airman. All I had to do was ask what they needed.

Q4: As you have gained rank and have had to stop being the main technician and start managing the force to carry on for you, what has been the most challenging part?

A4: I had to learn to let go. I had to trust without a doubt that the Airmen performing their jobs were qualified and capable. If they weren't, then I knew what my job was.

Q5: What is your advice to Airmen on serving in an ever-changing military and the outside environment?

A5: Brand new Airmen think life is great; but six months later, those same Airmen might think life is horrible. Why? Because they let people influence them negatively. Don't be that guy who complains about everything. Life is hard enough as it is - don't make it more difficult by taking issue with everything around you. Find a way to make it better or make it yours. Find a way to positively influence the people around you.

Q6. Is there a quote you most identify with? Why?

A6: There's a quote by Mary Engelbreit, "If you don't like something, change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." This has served me well in my career and life. I share this with Airmen when they complain, which is why the previous question was so relevant. Sometimes you just can't change something you think needs changing. As a command chief, there are things I have thought could be made better for our Airmen if I could just change this or that. But, sometimes my advice isn't taken. My only other options at that point are to fight it or find a way to accept it. This doesn't mean I have to agree, but I have to find something positive about the situation and go from there.

Q7: What kept you motivated to stay in the Air Force?

A7: One of the great benefits of being in the Air Force is the ability to change things up. The Air Force allows you to do something for two years and then to do something different or do your job in a different setting. Sometimes, like in my situation, the Air Force even gives you an opportunity to do a completely different job. Because I always felt like there was something new waiting for me, I stayed motivated.

Q8: Would you stay in longer than 30 years if they allowed you to?

A8: I don't know. If I could continue to be challenged, then yes. If I could continue to make a difference for the Airmen serving today and looking to serve tomorrow, yes. But, the Air Force said 30 years of service is my limit. It's time for me to allow someone else to have the opportunities I have been fortunate enough to have.

As the command chief's time in the Air Force comes to a close, he reflects on how poignant it has been for him to both start and end his career in the United Kingdom, beginning at RAF Upper Heyford and finishing at RAF Mildenhall - home of the legendary Bloody Hundredth.

"Although I have been in some really successful squadrons over the years, being a part of the legacy of the 100th Bomb Group has really meant a lot to me," said Powell, a native of Cypress Fairbanks, Texas. "We're pretty unique here and it's been a privilege to be part of this family. I have never felt more connected than I have here, and I hope that I have played a small part in helping others stationed here feel the same way."

Although the command chief looks forward to checking items off his bucket list once he retires, he has no intention of slowing down. He plans to rejoin the flying world by earning a helicopter license and pursuing hobbies that have been on the back burner until now. "Now, I will have time - time to do things I've always wanted to do," Powell said. "I'm going to learn to play the guitar, and there are at least two trips in the near future: one to the Mt. Everest base camp in Nepal and one to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. It doesn't mean I won't miss being a part of all this, but the next step won't be half bad, either."

Powell retires Feb. 1, 2013, after 30 years of active-duty service. For more information on the command chief's Air Force career, visit http://www.mildenhall.af.mil/library/biographies/bio.asp?id=13647.

To view photos of Powell's incentive flight with RAF Lakenheath, click http://www.mildenhall.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123333453