AETC Command Chief culminates 31 years of service to Air Force, people

Before his final salute, Tapia took a moment to reflect on his time as an Airman and what he will miss most about serving his nation and taking care of Air Force people.

Tapia, an El Paso, Texas, native, started his career in Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in 1985, after which he completed the Basic Personnel Course at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.

Tapia said he appreciates his humble beginnings, filing paperwork as the “A through G guy” in a military personnel flight at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., because it set the stage for his career. After cutting his teeth in the file room, Tapia served as an accessions clerk with the 3507th Airman Classification Squadron at BMT. It was here he gained confidence and learned the importance of standards. At the age of 19, he was responsible for in-processing briefings for groups as large as 150 people. As a representative of his squadron and because of the proximity of basic trainees, young Airman Tapia was held to high standards.

“Our shoes were shined. Our uniforms were sharp and our haircuts were clean,” Tapia said. “To this day, I will not bring home an Air Force uniform that has not been tapered or without the pockets sewn down. These standards have stayed with me for my entire career.”

Tapia went on to hold duties in personnel management offices at the base and major command level. He worked for the Air Force Personnel Center and held a joint duty assignment at Headquarters Alaskan Command.

Tapia said each assignment helped him expand his experience and knowledge in his field, but it was his opportunities to help people that gave him the tools to be a leader.

During an interview for his first command chief position, Tapia was asked if his personnelist background would hinder him in a fighter wing, surrounded by flyers and maintainers. He told them what he knew.

“I said, ‘Sir, after 23 years, no one has ever asked me for my opinion on whether a block 52 [engine] or a block 40 is better on an F-16, but every single day people ask me about people’,” Tapia remembered with a smile.

According to Tapia, it was this understanding of how to care for people, combined with a tour as a special assistant to two chief master sergeants of the Air Force, that set him up for success as command chief.

“There are a lot of people in the maintenance field for 20 plus years, when they become a command chief, who have to learn all of a sudden how a Basic Housing Allowance is set or what happens in a promotion board, or how to manage dormitories, or how the assignment system works” he said. “But for me, that was all second nature. My background helped to propel me in the right direction.”

Tapia joined the AETC team in January 2013 after tours as command chief for the 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., and then at 12th Air Force at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. He said he did not take his new responsibilities at AETC lightly; he was coming on board at a critical juncture for the command.

“I knew, coming into this position, my number one priority would be to restore the nation’s trust and confidence in our institution and especially in our Basic Military Training,” Tapia said. “At the end of the day, I needed to give parents confidence that we would take care of their sons and daughters.”

Tapia was instrumental in two significant changes to BMT during his time at AETC – the shift of military training instructor duty from a volunteer force to a vetted, Developmental Special Duty, and the institution of Airmen’s Week.

As a member of the Enlisted Board of Directors, a round table of MAJCOM command chiefs and selected chiefs from the Air Staff who support the chief master sergeant of the Air Force, Tapia was able to participate in key working groups instrumental to the transformation of BMT. One of those groups focused on the Developmental Special Duty process.

“We recognized there are some special duty assignments, like military training instructors, recruiters and military training leaders, that require a little more service and sacrifice from Airmen,” Tapia said. “We worked to change how we manned those positions, so we can find the individuals who have the right attributes and disposition for those jobs.”

Tapia said that finding the right people for these jobs meant a lot to him, as AETC owns the majority of these influential positions.

“AETC owns almost 4,000 technical school instructors, 547 MTI positions, 1,200 recruiter positions, 650 MTL positions,” Tapia said. “It is our responsibility to vet, assign and train the leaders of tomorrow.”

Tapia also was a critical force behind the creation of Airmen’s Week, which is the first training Airmen receive after graduating the previous Friday from BMT. Tapia said a review of BMT identified “white space” during the eight weeks of training that equated to a week of time they could re-invest in our newest Airmen. The Airmen’s Week is spent reinforcing the Air Force core values and what “integrity, service and excellence” mean in the daily life of every Airman.

“We are going to see the payoff to Airmen’s Week for years and years to come,” Tapia said. “This is not the last week of basic training; it’s the first week of the rest of these Airmen’s Air Force careers.”

Tapia’s hope for Airmen’s Week is that it fosters the moment when Airmen buy-in to what it truly means to be an Airman. This sentiment hits home for Tapia. He often tells the story of how he actually “joined” the Air Force in 1989, four years after he first signed on the dotted line. He found himself on the verge of not being able to re-enlist, but one leader gave him a second chance.

“If I told you that 18-year-old, Airman Basic Tapia would have seen himself sitting here after a 30-year career, I would be lying. I was literally a signature away from being back on my mom’s couch,” Tapia said. “My best advice for Airmen, if they really want to go far in this Air Force, is don’t let four years go by where they’re not in. You’ve got to be in from day one.”

Tapia said he has many fond recollections from his career, but it is the simple moments spent with fellow Airmen that hold a special place in his heart.

“Because of where I’ve worked, I’ve had some incredible experiences. I’ve been able to ring the bell to open a day of trading at the New York Stock Exchange. I’ve been on Air Force One. Some people never get the chance to do these things,” Tapia said. “But those experiences pale in comparison to the time I’ve spent with Airmen. Those are my most cherished memories and those are the things I will miss the most.”

Always Airman Tapia, the chief signed off with his promise to all Airmen, not just those in AETC.

“I will continue to serve however I can,” he said. “From this point, I have to stop coming into work, but I will never ever stop being an advocate for you. I’m going to move from the field to the stands and I will be your biggest cheerleader, your biggest advocate and the person who will be thinking and praying for you every single day.”