Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph –
As the highest-ranking enlisted members in the Air Force, chief master sergeants are counted on for their mentorship of noncommissioned officers and junior enlisted Airmen.
It's a relationship that also defines their own organization, the chiefs' group.
"Our purpose is to mentor and provide leadership for the enlisted force," Chief Master Sgt. Edwin Olan, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Chiefs' Group president, said. "Everything they do, we're here for them."
Serving as mentors and leaders requires chiefs to "represent the highest standards expected of all enlisted Airmen, regardless of location - in garrison or deployed," Senior Master Sgt. Steve Crawford, Randolph Chiefs' Group vice president and chief master sergeant-select, said.
"We, as a group and individually, should be seen regularly at all locations and be open to serving as mentors to the Air Force's next generation of enlisted leaders," Crawford said.
One of the more visible and official ways chiefs mentor NCOs and junior enlisted Airmen is their participation in a question and answer session during one of the class sessions at the NCO Academy and Airman Leadership School, Olan said.
"That's an opportunity for those students to pick our brains," he said.
Another way chiefs assist NCOs and junior enlisted Airmen is to attend meetings of the Randolph Rising 5/6, an organization for technical sergeants, staff sergeants and staff sergeant-selects, and the Team Randolph Airmen's Council, which serves Airmen at pay grades E-4 and under, and "see what they need from us," Olan said.
Recognizing the contributions of NCOs and junior enlisted Airmen is an important function of the Randolph Chiefs' Group. The Chiefs' Pick applauds Airmen for "outstanding performance" and entitles them to a recognition ceremony.
The chiefs' group also supports Airmen's educational efforts. Its annual scholarship program, awarded on the basis of winning essays, provides $800 in aid.
"The goal is to support the enlisted force," Olan said. "It helps Airmen and encourages them to go to school."
The organization contributes funds to a host of events, including award and induction ceremonies, promotion parties and other social gatherings, such as the chiefs' gathering, that brings current and retired chiefs together.
The chiefs' group also supports causes such as the Fisher House, which provides free or low-cost lodging to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers, and Operation Blue Suit, which recognizes Air Force recruiters.
Crawford said he's "benefited from the mentorship of other chiefs and witnessed firsthand how their influence and positive energy can be the difference in a successful event or mission.
"It's an honor to serve alongside this caliber of leadership," he said.