GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Chief Master Sgt. Casy Boomershine formally took the reins as the new command chief of the 17th Training Wing in June 2020. She is a proven Air Force leader serving for the last 25 years in diverse maintenance leadership roles and in special duty assignments as a Military Training Instructor and First Sergeant, and just prior to her assignment here, as the Command First Sergeant & 8F000 Functional Manager for Air Mobility Command. As part of her listen, learn, and lead philosophy she has been quietly observing Goodfellow since her arrival. She’s focused on getting to know the members of team Goodfellow to better understand how she can best serve the base.
“I want to get out and meet as many people as I can,” said Chief Boomershine. “It’s very difficult with COVID, but I’m figuring out creative ways to make it happen.”
If you see the chief, don’t be shy. Tell her about yourself, where you work, and what you do.
Chief Boomershine grew up in Clovis, New Mexico near Cannon Air Force Base. Growing up in this small town helped shape her world view.
“Life is a matter of perspective,” said Boomershine. “I credit Clovis with giving me the perspective that I can always be happy, wherever I am. How you feel about where you are planted is your choice.”
Boomershine enlisted in the Air Force in 1995, as an Aerospace Ground Equipment mechanic following a long-standing family military tradition, going back for generations. Her father served 22 years in the Marine Corps as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal technician.
Boomershine said she never comes into a situation with expectations but instead with an open mind. This mentality helped her grow and make the best of every assignment she had.
By 2000, she graduated from Airman Leadership School, and by 2002, she was a Military Training Instructor.
Becoming an MTI is what established her love of teaching. She excelled at what she did and earned a Black Rope, which recognized her as trusted trainer of other MTIs, and her Master Instructor Certification, a distinction earned by less than 10% of MTIs as well as a promotion to technical sergeant. This was one of the many achievements that paved her way to Chief Master Sergeant.
In 2006, she was back in her career field as a Maintenance Floor Chief. She credits the transition back to her career field as one of the key experiences that shaped her and made her into a better Airman. “It’s a scary thing to go back to your career field after you have stepped out for so long. You wonder if you’re going to be any good at it anymore, or if you will fail. It’s hard, but it’s good to do things that are hard. You learn that you are a person that can tackle any challenge put before you, no matter how daunting.” By 2007 she was promoted to Master Sergeant, and was afforded even more opportunities to leverage the leadership experience she gained as a young MTI. She was placed into leadership roles often reserved for more experienced SNCOs, and after proven successes in those roles, selected to lead the B-1 Bomber Isochronal Inspection Section, a position usually filled by an aircraft maintainer. “As an AGE mechanic, it was challenging to lead crew chiefs, jet mechanics, hydraulic specialists, basically all the diverse aircraft maintenance specialties required to fix the B-1. It was completely outside my technical expertise,” she says, “but leading people is leading people.”
Her successes leading that team led to her squadron chief’s recommendation for her to consider first sergeant duty, a position she never saw herself in. “I didn’t see myself as a first sergeant. I didn’t think I had the right personality, or that it was something that was in my future.” It was a leap of faith to step outside her career field again, but her mentors saw something in her that she didn’t and she became a First Sergeant in 2011. In 2012, she was the 81st Training Wing’s First Sergeant of the Year, and also earned a promotion to Senior Master Sergeant while serving as a first sergeant, proving just how much she had underestimated herself. She loved being a diamond, and having the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. In 2014 she returned to her primary AFSC as a MAJCOM AGE Functional Manager.
By 2017, she earned the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, the highest enlisted rank in the Air Force, the top 1%. As a CMSgt, she applied and was hired for a rare opportunity to be one of only 15 Active Duty “Diamond Chiefs” as the Command First Sergeant for Air Mobility Command, and also served as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the 1,600 member A-Staff.
Arguably the most important part of Chief’s career occurred in 2020.
“When I saw the list of bases hiring command chiefs in 2020, Goodfellow right away piqued my interest because of the mission.”
Boomershine is always drawn to challenge, and new experiences. She believes that if you run into the fire, you will become even stronger when you emerge out the other side.
“When I went through the command chief course, we had folks from Goodfellow come out to brief about the mental fitness obstacle course, we got a demo, and I was really intrigued!” said Boomershine, the corners of her lips turning into a smile. “I had Goodfellow on my mind. I love Texas, I’ve been stationed here nine years total throughout my career, and have an affinity for Air Education and Training Command and for the training environment. Goodfellow’s Special Instruments, ISR and Fire Protection training mission is very different than my previous training experiences, and I really wanted to learn a different side of the Air Force.”
The aspect that drew the chief to Goodfellow the most was the people.
“I know people are passionate about what they do here,” said Boomershine. “I knew the base was innovative and interested in becoming a technology hub. They’re committed to driving forward and doing things that others weren’t even thinking about doing.”
Speaking of people, if all you know is the professional side of someone, do you know them at all? Boomershine doesn’t have much spare time, but she has no trouble filling what time she does have.
“I have lots of hobbies, I’m never bored. I like fitness, and I like to run,” said the running enthusiast, her many running-related medals behind her. “I run for mental health and for the simple experience of running. I have taught Kettlebells, Spin, and Tae Bo, I like to read both fiction and professional development books, and I make both cards and wreaths. I have more hobbies than I have time.” She also enjoys music, her favorite genre is rock, and she likes it LOUD. Boomershine also said she loves spending time with her family. Her family loves it here as well. Her husband, Michael, who goes by Boomer, her son Magnus, and her two cats, Athena and Circe, all moved to San Angelo with Boomershine.
Boomershine isn’t the first in her family line to live in San Angelo. She comes from a railroading family, and her grandparents and her father also lived here when her grandfather worked for Santa Fe. They remarked that it was their favorite place to live, and now she knows why.
“The community and how much they embrace the military here is incredible!” Said Boomershine. “They genuinely like us being here and try to help us in any way they can.”
The former MTI, First Sergeant and Maintainer is an Airman of many hats, and she’s come to Goodfellow to share her knowledge and experience.
“I want to leave Goodfellow better than I found it, and I want everyone else to know how amazing this base is and for them to want to come here too,” explained Boomershine. “It’s in a really good place now, so it’s a lofty goal, but I always want to make things better where I can.”