Retired Chief reacquaints with JB MDL

Published Aug. 19, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Dennis L. Sloan
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Chief Master Sgt. (ret.) Sam E. Parish, the eighth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, visited Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Aug. 17 through 19.

Parish visited with various Air Force units, met with Airmen and attended the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Induction Ceremony.

The distinguished visitor met with the selectees and spoke with them about what it means to be a leader. He also spoke about how he found success throughout his career.

"Be the best you can be at every part of your job," said Parish. "To succeed you must not ride on the backs of fellow Airmen, but take them with you."

Parish was the guest speaker at the senior noncommissioned officer ceremony and shared his perspective on today's Air Force with the selectees, their supervisors and their family members in attendance.

"Besides the name, the United States Air Force is completely different from when I served more than 25 years ago," said Parish. "I mean the quality of Airmen we are getting today is extraordinary; not that we had bad Airmen back in my day, it's just that these Airmen have gone far above the standard we set."

Parish was appointed to the top noncommissioned officer position, Parish enlisted at age 17 in 1954. He started his career at Chanute Air Force Base, Ill., as a weather equipment operator graduating his technical training with honors.

"You must also be all the way in or all the way out," said Parish. "That decision alone will determine your success in the Air Force."

Upon graduation from technical school, Parish was sent to West Germany as noncommissioned officer in charge of weather communications. In 1960 he returned to Chanute and graduated the weather observer technician course with honors. While assigned at Hanscom AFB, Mass. in 1966, Parish attended the Systems Command Noncommissioned Officer Academy and was the honor graduate of his class.

"I couldn't have succeeded without the support of my family and my supervisors," said Parish.

According to www.af.mil, Parish received several honors and held advisory positions during his career to include: adviser to Secretaries of the Air Force Verne Orr and Russell A. Rourke and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Charles A. Gabriel. Parish advised them on matters concerning welfare, effective utilization and progress of the enlisted members of the Air Force. He also was the 40th Air Division senior enlisted adviser at Wurtsmith AFB, Mich., in November 1981. He was later selected as the Strategic Air Command senior enlisted advisor at Offutt AFB, Neb. He retired from the Air Force June 30, 1986.

"I have many fond memories of the Air Force," said Parish. "Not one memory really stands above them all, but being promoted to the rank of chief master sergeant was definitely one of my fonder memories."

Parish visited the base not only to attend the ceremony as a guest speaker, but to see how the base where his wife first stepped on American soil had changed from his last visit in 2002.

"In 1959, when my wife and I stepped off an aircraft onto McGuire, it was crude and rude, to say the least," said Parish. "When I visited in 2002 change was in the winds. Coming back here now, I can see no building has gone untouched, has not been remodeled or better in some way. The grass is greener and the mission even bigger. I am really happy to visit here again; this base holds a special place in mine and my wife's heart."

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