Goodfellow honors Chief Airey

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Anne Gathua
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  On March 11, the United States Air Force mourned the loss of an icon, the first chief master sergeant of the Air Force.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Paul Wesley Airey died at his home in Panama City, Fla.

A special retreat ceremony was held in honor of Chief Airey at Goodfellow Air Force Base May 28.

As the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Chief Airey was the advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force Harold Brown and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. John P. McConnell on matters concerning welfare, effective utilization and progress of the enlisted members of the Air Force. Upon assuming his new responsibilities, Chief Airey began tackling the problem of personnel retention, an issue he identified as one of the greatest challenges he faced.

The first-term reenlistment rate was the lowest it had been in 12 years, but Chief Airey did not attribute the great decline to the unpopularity of the war in Vietnam. He felt it was the consequence of poor pay, numerous remote assignments, good civilian employment opportunities and an inequitable promotion system. Chief Airey became an advisor to a committee to investigate and recommend a more equitable system. His efforts helped produce the Weighted Airman Promotion System. WAPS was adopted in 1970 eliminating local enlisted promotion boards and equalizing promotion opportunities across career fields.

Chief Airey was the first chief master sergeant appointed to this ultimate noncommissioned officer position and was selected from among 21 major air command nominees. He was formally installed by Gen. McConnell on April 3, 1967.

After completing his 27-month term as Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Chief Airey returned to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, as a first sergeant. He is the only former chief master sergeant of the Air Force to have remained on active duty after his tenure. He retired Aug. 1, 1970. "Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Airey was the most revered enlisted person in our Air Force who paved the way and helped make our enlisted corps as professional as it is today," said Chief Master Sgt. Frederick Ricker, 17th Training Wing command chief master sergeant.

Chief Airey was born in New Bedford, Mass. He entered military service after two years of high school in Quincy, Mass. In 1948 he obtained his high school equivalency certificate, and later completed 62 semester hours of study at McKendree College, Lebanon, Ill. His military schooling included courses in communication mechanics and personnel management and he was a graduate of the Air Defense Command Noncommissioned Officer Academy.

Before he became Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Chief Airey was assigned to the Air Defense Command's 4756th Civil Engineering Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Chief Airey spent much of his 27-year career as a first sergeant. During World War II, however, he served as an aerial gunner on B-24 bombers and is credited with 28 combat missions in Europe. On one of his missions he was forced to bail out of his flak-damaged aircraft.

Chief Airey was then captured and became a prisoner of war in Germany from July 1944 to May 1945. During the Korean conflict, he was awarded the Legion of Merit while assigned at Naha Air Base, Okinawa. The award, an uncommon decoration for an enlisted man, was earned for creating a means of constructing equipment from salvaged parts that improved corrosion control of sensitive radio and radar components. Chief Airey was also awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal and the POW Medal.

"Chief Airey exemplifies what it means to be an Airman," said Chief Master Sgt. Edwin Forrest, 17th Mission Support Group superintendent. "Although he's gone his legacy will live on."

After his retirement, Chief Airey was active in professional military organizations, including the Air Force Memorial Foundation and Air Force Sergeants Association, where he provided his guidance, mentorship and opinions.