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Interview with 8th Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Sam E. Parish

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  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  Chief Master Sgt. Sam E. Parish was adviser to Secretaries of the Air Force Verne Orr and Russell A. Rourke and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Charles A. Gabriel. Chief Parish advised them on matters concerning welfare, effective utilization and progress of the enlisted members of the Air Force. He was the eighth chief master sergeant appointed to this ultimate noncommissioned officer position.

Chief Parish joined the U.S. Air Force in December 1954, and graduated with the first class from the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Gunter Air Force Station, Ala., in 1973.

Following basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, he was assigned to Chanute Air Force Base, Ill., for training as a ground weather equipment operator. After completing the course as an honor graduate in August 1955, Chief Parish was assigned to the 18th Weather Squadron, Wiesbaden Air Base, West Germany, as noncommissioned officer in charge of weather communications.

In January 1960 he returned to Chanute Air Force Base for the weather observer technician course and again was an honor graduate. From August 1960 to May 1966 the chief was assigned to the Air Force Systems Command, Electronics Systems Division,
Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., as noncommissioned officer in charge of operational procedures for the 433L Systems Program Office. While assigned at Hanscom, he attended the Air Force Systems Command Noncommissioned Officer Academy and was honor graduate of his class.

He returned to West Germany as chief observer for the 7th Weather Squadron at Heidelberg from June 1966 until June 1969. He then transferred to Headquarters Air Weather Service, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., as the command's chief observer and later as chief, observing the services and procedures division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations.

The chief attended the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy in January 1973, and in July 1973, was chosen as thesenior Airman adviser for Air Weather Service. In October 1975 he was assigned as the weather assignments adviser for Military Airlift Command's deputy chief of staff, personnel.

In July 1973, he was chosento be the senior Airman adviser for Air Weather Service. In October 1975 he was assigned as the weather assignments adviser for Military Airlift Command's deputy chief of staff, personnel.

In August 1976 Chief Parish began his third tour of duty in West Germany as sergeant major for the 36th Combat Support Group consolidated base personnel office at Bitburg Air Base. From November 1977 to August 1980 he served as U.S. Air Forces in Europe senior enlisted adviser at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany. He then became 40th Air Division senior enlisted adviser at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich. In November 1981, the chief was selected as the Strategic Air Command senior enlisted advisor at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. He retired from the Air Force June 30, 1986.

Q: What is your opinion of the evolution of the Air Force uniform?

A: In my day, throughout my entire Air Force career, nobody ever asked my opinion of the uniform, and we changed uniforms a lot more from the time I came in, in 1954, to the time that I retired in 1986 that you've ever dreamed of. The only thing you all have had is the shake-up over the new dress uniform that went into effect in the '90s. But our fatigues - we wore fatigues our whole life. They would just give us the fatigues and say "You're wearing it." When I came in we had one-piece fatigues. We changed to two-piece fatigues - they stayed with us basically until we tried the blues in the '70s, and it didn't work, so we went back to the green ones. Then Chief Jim Binnicker said that everybody should be a warrior and they put them in the BDUs, and then the BDUs hid so much ... everybody wanted the ACUs, the DCUs, everything that you can think of. Does the uniform make the warrior? I don't think so, 'cause if it does, then look what has happened in Afghanistan and Iraq - you've never seen one of those people in a uniform have you? The one that's been tying us down all these years with the bombs and the hit-and-run tactics. Let's face it, they don't wear a uniform. So the uniform doesn't make the person and I think that we probably are getting over it, we've concentrated absolutely too much energy, and placed too much emphasis on a uniform.

Q: What are the biggest reasons that you are still active in the Air Force community?

A: The Air Force has been my entire life. I came in when I was 17 years old, and I served until I was 49 years old, almost 32 years on active duty. You grew up in an Air Force, and the Air Force meant everything to me, and it still means everything to me because it gave me an opportunity I would have never had anywhere else in life. Not only the opportunity to be a success, but encourage that success. For 54-plus years the Air Force has been my first love, my wife allows it to continue to be my first love, and I stay involved because our Airmen today deserve everything that they can get, and part of that is the heritage from where they came. I believe it's important to know where we came from because if you don't, how do you know where we need to go in the future?

Q: What are one or two of your fondest Air Force memories?

A: We don't have time to do that, because there aren't one or two fondest memories. My whole life has been a fun memory because it's like a kid with a new toy. Every time you turn around, you get promoted, that's a fond memory. You have a son, that's a fond memory. You have a second son, that's even a fond memory. You get married, that's a fond memory. You re-enlist in the Air Force and they allow you to stay past 30, that's a fond memory. You're selected for the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, that's a fond memory. I was at Bitburg in the CBPO, they selected me to be the USAFE command chief, that's a fond memory. Which is most? I don't have any idea. It's hard to say.

Q: What does the Air Force have that appeals to Airmen and that makes the branch unique?

A: That's a tough question to ask. Every individual in the world is different. What turns you on to a service might sour me for a service. What an individual's desire is in life, and what they think it is, because when you're about 18 years old you have no concept of what the military's all about unless you grew up around the military. Even if you grew up around the military, you probably, as a child, didn't pay attention to it. I'm not sure. In fact, I tell all of our Airmen it's not even right to ask a person why they joined the Air Force, because most people have no idea why they joined. They ask me why I joined the Air Force, I tell them it's none of their business. It's not important why they joined if you stop and you think about it, if you're retired from the service and your children want to go into the service, I think probably 80 percent of the retirees would say the Air Force is the service of choice for the children. It's because of the reputation we have as far as quality of life is concerned and taking care of people.

Q: What are the most common questions or concerns Airmen have for you?

A: It ranges from everything from "What color is your wife's hair?" to "Why did you decide to stay on as long as you did in the Air Force?" or "Why did you decide to make the Air Force a career?" Questions of every nature you get from people. I get very few questions that deal with specifics because it doesn't do any good to talk to someone that's been retired almost 23 years specifics about a given job because if they ask me that question I say, "You know, I'm not the right person to ask that question to. You need to be talking to your supervisor, or to your first sergeant, or your command chief. Or your functional chief."
Q: What do you see as the Air Force's biggest challenge?

A: I would have to say the biggest challenge we have today is finish what we started in Iraq and Afghanistan if that's at all possible, and then replacing the equipment that we have used and abused in those two countries in fighting the wars that we have fought, and then get our people back on track to being fully-fledged Air Force members. I think that's going to be the biggest challenge we have in the future. We don't have any trouble, it seems today, recruiting, but I think that when we end the war and it winds down, we may have some problems retaining some people. A lot of our young people are going to miss the excitement of the deployments and the TDYs and things of that nature.

Q: How can Airmen as individuals help the Air Force overcome this challenge?

A: The answer is the same whether it's an NCO or an Airman - be the best at whatever you do. Do the best job possible and do it with a positive attitude, with a smile on your face. If we do that and we continue to maintain a positive attitude about the things that we do in life and give 110 percent to whatever we're trying to do that hour, that minute, that day, that week, I'll guarantee our Air Force will continue to grow and we will continue to be the best that there is to offer for our people and for our nation.
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