LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Once the pros and cons were weighed between one more assignment or retirement, the choice was simple for the former 37th Training Wing command chief master sergeant. "It doesn't get any better than this," said Chief Master Sgt. Jay Simon on his tenure as 37th TRW command chief.
Appropriately, Simon ended his 28 years of service with a retirement ceremony held during the basic training graduation parade Oct. 7. He also served as commander of Airmen, marching in formation with the graduates one final time. Chief Master Sgt. Craig Recker replaced Simon as command chief last in August.
He decided in early January, with his family's support, that there was no better way to leave the Air Force than where it began.
"I had no regrets when I walked down the bomb run. It's been a great ride," said Simon. "The thought of doing another job vs. retiring from the 37th Training Wing on Lackland Air Force Base made my decision easy.
"I could have taken another assignment, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought, why not end it where it started?," he said. "Not a lot of command chiefs can say they retired on Lackland, then walked down the bomb run with 700 to 800 future Airmen behind them."
Simon cited three areas of personal interest during his two-year tenure as 37th TRW command chief - inspiring young Airmen to be successful, raising the master sergeant to senior master sergeant promotion rate, and reemphasizing the key spouse program.
He said communicating, formally and informally, with young Airmen on a daily basis allowed him to stress the importance of career development as the path to success.
"I talked to them like adults. Very quickly, they knew I cared about their development," Simon said. "The proof was down the road when I'd get an email from a (basic) trainee, who's now an Airman, telling me about a CDC (Career Development Course) score or about joining a base honor guard.
"Before I took the job, we were below the Air Force standard, and AETC (Air Education and Training Command) average for promoting master sergeants to senior master sergeants. We were able to exceed both those averages."
Reinvigorating the key spouse program was another important area to Simon.
He said spouses play a key role in any Airman's success, especially in the BMT environment. So, he directed first sergeants to include key spouse photos on every unit's leadership wall to emphasize the program's significance.
"Our training instructors and MTLs (military training leaders) put in a lot of hours," Simon said. "If they don't get support at home, then it's difficult when they come to work. This is important to me because the spouse always has a voice.
"The jewel of the Air Force is right here at Lackland. Every Thursday and every Friday, families (of graduating basic trainees) come to visit the 37th Training Wing," he said. "This was the greatest assignment of my career."