LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Chief Master Sgt. Juan Lewis, the new command chief of the 37th Training Wing, has an office covered with mementos from all of his previous assignments.
From ceremonial swords during his time stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan, to a picture with NBA legend Magic Johnson taken during an Honor Guard presentation, it's easy to see that Chief Lewis has touched several people throughout his career.
"I've done a lot of stuff in my career, but you know what? My job isn't finished," Chief Lewis said. "I am still fired up and motivated to serve our Airmen."
The Houston native, who joins Team Lackland after an assignment as a command chief at Edwards AFB, Calif., says he is excited to see his career come full circle.
"I never even thought I would be back here," Chief Lewis said. "Now that I am here, I'm living the dream. I'd probably take a pay cut to be here."
Chief Lewis is very confident that his knowledge and skills will be a great fit for his new role at Lackland.
"You need the ability to build teams, communicate with people and show them that you really care," Chief Lewis said. "You can't be a high task, low relations type person. It's important for people to understand not only do they work for me, but I also work for them. I think it's that attitude and those skills I bring that will be great for the job."
Chief Lewis credits a lot of his work ethic to the 20 years he has spent as a member of the Honor Guard.
"The Honor Guard is one of those things that I always had a passion for," Chief Lewis said. "I could go out to a parade and spot a uniform violation a mile away."
In his spare time, Chief Lewis is an avid runner, dating back to his earlier days in the service when he was on the Air Force Track and Field Team.
"I love running, and I don't just run for the Air Force. I run for myself, because I want to live a long, healthy life," said Chief Lewis. "At my last base, I used to wake up on the weekend and run to the gate. That was about 14 miles away and then I would get a ride back."
Chief Lewis plans to be very active during his assignment at Lackland.
"One of the things we need to try to make better is the quality of life, and when I say that I am talking primarily about the permanent party people because they are the rock," said the chief. "We need to have more programs for Airmen. I remember reading that Lackland is a top 10 place to live, and we need to make sure we are living up to that."
Because Lackland is the location of basic military training for all enlisted Airmen, Chief Lewis would also like to see more attention to detail.
"Lackland is the premier Air Force base and because it is, it should also be the showcase base," Chief Lewis said. "We need to tighten up and raise the standards. Our (military training insructors) do a phenomenal job with our basic trainees, but we need to hold our tech school students and our permanent party to the same standard. We need to make sure everyone is living the Air Force model of being 'above all.'"
Chief Lewis acknowledged that he will need lots of help to implement changes basewide, but he is already gaining support from Airmen.
"He definitely doesn't have an easy job," said Airman 1st Class Maribelle Hernandez, 37th Medical Group. "I'm just wowed right now by the opportunity I've had to shadow him. He is definitely a people person."