Former CMSAF visits McConnell

Published March 30, 2010
By Senior Airman Abigail Klein
22nd Air Refueling Wing public affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KAN. -- "[Like cigarettes]I should come with a warning, listening to Chief Bob Gaylor can be hazardous to any negative thought you might be having."

With these words, retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Robert Gaylor, opened his address to more than 500 Airmen during an enlisted all-call March 24 at McConnell Air Force Base.

Chief Gaylor was invited to McConnell as the key note speaker for the 22nd Air Refueling Wing's Airman Leadership School graduation for Class 10-C March 25. While here, the fifth CMSAF, who served from 1977 to 1979, took every opportunity to meet with enlisted Airmen.

During his speech, Chief Gaylor shared experiences from his Air Force career, encouraging Airmen to take advantage of opportunities the Air Force offers and to take pride in their work and professional development. This was the tenth base the chief has spoken at this year.

Enlisting in 1948 just after the birth of the Air Force, before racial integration of the service and the blue service dress uniform, the chief offered the audience a historical perspective and regard for their responsibilities as enlisted Airmen.

"If something is bothering you, do something about it," he said. "If you really want something, you'll bust whatever to get it."

He also stated that success as an Airmen is accomplished by combining these four elements: aptitude, motivation, attitude and opportunity.

"When those four things collide, you know what you'll have--success," he said. "Which is, by the way, something we all want -- you never get over it. I'm older than any three of you [in the audience] and I still want success."

He said success is primarily based on personal choice.

"You could say 'I could care less' or you could say 'watch out world here I come,'" said Chief Gaylor.

Following his speech the chief responded to a question about the greatest thing Airmen can give back to the Air Force.

"One word - commitment," Chief Gaylor said. "The Air Force owes you only two things: compensation and the opportunity to showcase your talent.

"[The Air Force] doesn't owe you promotions, they don't owe you assignments of your choice or the supervisors you like to work with," he said. "Those are just things that happen."

In more than 30 years of service, he was awarded NCO Academy honor graduate, worked as an instructor at the 2nd Air Force NCO Academy at Barksdale AFB, La., and served overseas at Kunsan AB, Korea; Tachikawa Air Base, Japan, and Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. The chief drew from his experiences and offered a deeper historical understanding of what it means to be an Airman.

"He's part of our history," said Staff Sgt. Braulio Coriano, 22nd Force Support Squadron Airman Leadership School instructor. "It was honor to get to speak with him and learn what he's done and been through, see how much the Air Force has changed, and to learn how he's helped to pave the way for a lot of the stuff [enlisted Airmen] have now."

Among many other ideas he helped implement, Chief Gaylor spearheaded the design and use of military maternity uniforms and the elimination of annual military uniform inspections, he said.

The chief recounted these efforts near the end of his speech, crediting the Air Force with affording him the opportunity to serve and said Airmen should never forget what that opportunity means.

"I've heard people say, 'I've laid my life on the line, I give to the Air Force, I've served,'" he said. "But I'm one of those guys that says thank the Air Force for allowing me to do all those things."