52nd FW welcomes new command chief Published March 19, 2010 By Senior Airman Clay Murray 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Just as Chief Master Sgt. Bruce Kenney retired after serving as the 52nd Fighter Wing command chief, a new senior enlisted leader grabbed the baton for enlisted leadership and continued down the track. Command Chief Master Sgt. Sandy Miller stepped into the position of the 52nd FW command chief. The Littlestown, Pa., native was a staff officer and representative for the chief master sergeant of the Air Force and the first sergeant career field manager at the Pentagon before coming here. Chief Miller has been in the Air Force for 26 years, and she spent 12 of those as a first sergeant. She decided to pursue work as a command chief at her previous assignment. "My boss tapped me on the shoulder and said this is something that you need to do, and six months later here I am," Chief Miller said. "It has been very exciting so far and I'm privileged to have an opportunity to do this. I think it will be a great two years." As the senior enlisted member here, Chief Miller wants to focus on improving quality of life and care for Airmen and their families. It's important to take care of Airmen so they can take care of the mission, she said. "The wing has set standards for quality of life with plans for a new fitness center, high school, base exchange and commissary - it's only a matter of time until they are complete," she said. "These are great initiatives for the wing that are already in place. "While here, I also hope to reduce drinking incidents, as they seem to be a theme recently," Chief Miller said. "Personal responsibility needs to be everyone's focus if we are going to fix it." Chief Miller credits other leaders and supervisors who helped her along her path to success. "I've looked at many people and focused on the good qualities they had," she said. "Chief Ball and Chief Anderson both were dynamic chiefs I looked up to who took care of Airmen. They didn't put emphasis on anyone but the Airmen, and it was all about looking outward rather than inward. "Those who shaped me were supervisors who encouraged me to step outside of both the box and my comfort zone," Chief Miller said. "When they did this, it helped me grow. Supervisors as the first line of leadership can nudge their Airmen just outside of their comfort zones too, and they can make the most of themselves." Chief Miller has two children. Her 26-year-old daughter is a substitute teacher in Fairfax, Va., and her 22-year-old son works on computers as a senior airman in the Air Force at the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Md. During her spare time, she enjoys reading, exercising and working toward her master's degree.