New command chief brings world of experience to job

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  When stepping into a leadership position, supervisors can often rely on their official biography to tell their credentials and accomplishments to their new Airmen.

For Chief Master Sgt. Paul Burgess, the 23rd Wing's new command chief, much of his 27 years of broad Air Force experience and knowledge can't be listed on a biography due to those jobs being classified.

His experiences, however, have allowed him to develop unique leadership and problem-solving skills in unusual situations, said Col. Kenneth Todorov, 23rd Wing commander.

"I've been working with Chief Burgess on and off for 20 years," said Colonel Todorov. "I am extremely impressed with his problem-solving skills. I've seen him take significant roles on projects with huge national security implications and be incredibly creative and successful in their accomplishment.

"When I discovered I was to take command of the 23rd Wing, he was my first choice to be command chief," he said. "Our long working relationship allows us the comfort level for him to give me an honest, unvarnished assessment of my decisions pertaining to the wing. That's invaluable to a commander."

As for the chief, he doesn't find it difficult to apply lessons learned in his previous roles to his new job as the Flying Tiger's enlisted leader.

"One thing doesn't change no matter what you do," said the chief. "You are bound by your moral ethics and your integrity. You must accomplish the mission to the best of your abilities and do the right thing, because it's the right thing to do.

"My diverse background gives me the ability to react to unconventional
situations and not get wrapped around the 'this is the only way' mentality" he added. "Sometimes the most unconventional solutions can be the smartest answers to tough challenges."

His Air Force career began in 1981 as a helicopter avionics apprentice, but he soon trained to become a crew chief on H-3's and then HH-60G helicopters. For 19 years, Chief Burgess held a variety of classified jobs before taking a position as the Superintendent of the Combined Air and Space Operations Center in Southwest Asia.

Most recently, the chief served as the superintendent of the 23rd Fighter Group, assisting with the unit's transition from Pope AFB, N.C., to Moody.

In a career spent improving and deploying equipment and Airmen into places he can't talk about, he has picked up many tricks for making big things happen, he said. Most importantly to him, he challenges every Airman to not limit themselves to the status quo.

"For me, the most aggravating trait is when people use the excuse 'the rules won't allow me to do my job properly,'" he said. "It's a challenge, but it doesn't mean we can't make it happen. If it's wrong, we will fix it. But don't use an excuse as a crutch to avoid dealing with an opportunity to improve something."

In his new position, the chief plans to do the same thing he has always done - develop and support Airmen.

"My primary mission now is to take care of the Airmen in this wing," he
added. "I feel I have the best job in the world."

As part of that job, Chief Burgess said it is important for him stress the importance of constantly being prepared for the unexpected.

"Airmen have to be ready to deploy," he said. "You are in an expeditionary Air Force and need to be physically, professionally and mentally prepared to perform your job downrange to the best of your abilities.

"It's going to happen in this low-density, high-demand wing and at any time we have about 700 Flying Tigers downrange getting the job done with distinction," he added. "The best way you can support those warriors is to be ready to replace them."