Meet the Chief

  • Published
  • By Connie Hempel
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A new command chief recently took the reins here, armed for new challenges and eager to take care of Goodfellow's enlisted force and their family.

"My purpose for being here as the command chief is to care for our Airmen and their families," said Chief Master Sgt. Brendan Criswell.

Although he's still in receive mode, learning how Goodfellow does things and why, he said he wants to ensure that the needs, wants and problems Airmen here face are worked at the highest level possible because these distractions can keep Airmen from doing their job.

"There's no promise that we can fix everything they encounter, but it's my job to clear the road blocks, help develop our Airmen and provide as much mentorship as I possibly can," he said. "One of my personal goals is to do everything I can to make sure Airmen are well adapted and capable to do their job."

He understands the huge responsibility placed on junior airmen (E1-E4) as it was one of the toughest times for him. During those years he didn't expect to make the Air Force a career, but he continued to do his job to the best of his abilities.

Twenty-one years, two Transition Assistance Program briefings and three deployments later, he's still here.

"There were a couple points in my career, after my first enlistment and again after my second enlistment, when I started to weigh my options," he said. "At that time I was thinking of what was best for me at that moment."

Wanting to make an educated decision, he attended the TAP briefings to learn what his options were. He thought a civilian career would provide more earnings and promotion potential, however, one month before his terminal leave was set to begin, the Chief was surprised in his eighth year of enlistment with a promotion under the Stripes for Exceptional Performers program to technical sergeant in December 1997.

The Chief said that was a turning point in his career.

"When I was STEP promoted it solved those problems and I realized I really enjoyed being an airman," he said. "I often tell airmen (E1-E4) to rest easy on judging the Air Force based on their experience as a junior enlisted member because that time will end up being a very small portion of their eventual career."

Most of an airman's career will be spent as a Noncommissioned Officer and the first years as an airman are the developmental stages building up to the NCO tier, the Chief explained.

He wants Airmen to understand that they are part of something that is bigger than them.

"This is not a club or a fraternity and it's certainly not a corporation," he said. "The Air Force is a pillar of American society and these Airmen have made an indelible impact on history - whether it's by name, reputation or just by the influence they've had over a course of events during their time in the Air Force. Every one of them should take it amongst themselves to make sure that this Air Force, this pillar of our society, is the best organization it can possibly be."

Only a small percentage of Americans have actually served in the military. That makes these Airmen part of a very select group; even more, they're part of a select group in the Air Force, he added.

The Chief doesn't want to see NCOs who have been in for a while get caught up in the routine of day-to-day business and think of themselves as someone who's just coming to work to do a job instead of as an airman.

"They need to understand that this isn't just a job, it's not just a profession," he said. "We're part of something that's absolutely bigger than us."

The New York-native doesn't come from a long line of military members, but said when he was a "disenchanted college student" considering the military, he knew the Air Force was the only service for him.

"I knew, just from reputation, that there was only one service I could consider joining and that was the Air Force," he said.

In 1989 Mr. Criswell became Airman Basic Criswell assigned to the Intelligence field. He quickly achieved the highest enlisted rank of chief master sergeant just 18 years later. He credits his success to always doing the best he could at whatever job he faced.

"That's always my goal," he said. "I want to be the best that I can be, whether it's knowing more about a subject or being better at something than anyone else."

Another secret to his success was learning early on how to ask the right questions.

"I developed an understanding that if you want to find out the right answers, you have to ask the right questions no matter how difficult it may be," he said.

He also encourages Airmen to voice their opinion if they think they have a good idea.

"Bring it up to whoever will listen," he said. "Don't be stifled by the first person you talk to who thinks it's a dumb idea. The most strange and foreign ideas may very well be the best."

Although he's had many unforgettable experiences in the Air Force, he said his most memorable so far come from his deployments.

"The teamwork and bonding brought together by the workload and mission while deployed are certainly the highlight of my professional experience," he said.

He's also looking forward to the new experiences he'll gain from his job as command chief and said he's sticking to the same goal he's had for the past 21 years of always doing the best he can at whatever job he's faced with.

"I want to be the absolute best command chief that I possibly can be," the Chief said.