Ceremony recognizes multiple senior NCO's

by Senior Airman Benjamin Sutton
366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

1/10/2014 - MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho  -- A Chief Induction Ceremony was held to honor four newly inducted chief master sergeants here Jan. 9, 2014.

The inductees included Senior Master Sgt. Donald Hendershott, 366th Equipment Maintenance Squadron maintenance superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. Allen Sapp, 266th Range Squadron chief of support, the Republic of Singapore air force Chief Master Sgt. Elangovan Palaniappan, 428th Fighter Squadron NCO in charge, and Senior Master Sgt. David Williams, 366th Security Forces Squadron manager.

"We are fortunate to have chief selects from across three organizations," said Hendershott. "It recognizes all of us as essential parts of the Gunfighter team."

This particular ceremony was unusual because the 366th Fighter Wing recognized two active-duty Airmen along with a member of the Idaho Air National Guard and a Republic of Singapore air force chief.

"Active-duty, Guard and the Republic of Singapore Airmen train seamlessly within this Wing in order to perform all aspects of our mission. This joint training is vital because the induction of different countries and components is a representation of how we train and fight,"  said Sapp.

The event celebrated the ascension of four enlisted personnel into the most senior non-commissioned officer tier.

"I believe the induction ceremony is a great recognition of the final step that most of us will take in our careers," said Sapp.

Out of 325,952 active duty Airmen, only one percent of them reach the rank of chief master sergeants.

"As chiefs, it's important to come together and showcase our common military values, recognize leadership and forge friendships across different cultures to form a united and cohesive community," said Palaniappan. "It's our responsibility to create a meaningful environment where our people can develop their leadership skills and become pillars of their organization."

As members of the highest enlisted grade in the Air Force, chiefs have been entrusted as good stewards of personnel, equipment and the overall mission.

"We are no longer technical and operational experts on mission requirements, but are now expected to focus on the strategic picture of how all elements work together to accomplish the mission," said Williams. "Of course, we can't take all of the credit because making chief is a collective effort and we all needed the support of family, friends and great leadership throughout our careers to reach this point. Personally, I am truly honored to have all my friends and family in attendance tonight."