Former Air Force chief visits ALS students

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Leticia Hopkins
  • 347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  A delayed flight and hectic schedule didn’t keep the eighth chief master sergeant of the Air Force from speaking to the graduating Airman Leadership School class March 24. 

Retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Sam Parish visited Moody to speak at the Air Force Sergeants Association Division Four Honors Banquet Saturday evening. 

While speaking to the ALS class, the Chief spoke through a smile but carried a serious message for the future Air Force leaders - how to be a good supervisor. 

The chief told them to do things the right way and not always how it has been done in the past. He also gave tips on how to increase their troops’ confidence and make them more independent. 

But most importantly, he wanted the future supervisors to always support their troops and not allow them to fail. 

“I always trusted the leadership to do those things that allowed our quality of life to continue,” said Chief Parish. “You’d be amazed that when you trust your leadership, how well they respond.” 

Chief Parish also shared with the class his view of the current Air Force, its incoming Airmen and their value to the service. 

There is no comparing the past to now, he said. 

“The Airmen (of today) are the most educated, dedicated and disciplined group we’ve ever had in our entire history,” said Chief Parish. “(They are) unbelievably good at what they do.” 

He said the Air Force’s mission has also changed. When he was an Airman, people and planes were permanently assigned to bases, but now because of the Air Force’s expeditionary mindset, they can deploy without having to be reassigned. Even the uniforms have changed, he added. 

With all of Chief Parish’s Air Force success, including earning nine Air Force Specialty Codes and serving as the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, he said he wasn’t planning a career from the beginning. 

“I didn’t come for a career,” said Chief Parish. “I never thought about it. I never thought about doing anything except serving as long as (the Air Force) would let me and as long as I was having fun.” 

Even after Chief Parish retired in 1986, he remained involved with the Air Force. He has worked an additional 19 years advising Airmen and plans to continue. 

“The Air Force has been my life and my wife has allowed it to be my first love,” said Chief Parish. “It continues to be a part of my life. (I believe) I can still add something to the Air Force because if you don’t know where you’ve been it’s awfully hard to know where to go.”