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380AEW Article

New command chief shares first impressions

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson
  • 380th AEW Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The new 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Command Chief arrived here Aug. 18.

Chief Master Sgt. Martin K. Smith said it's an honor to be here to serve the 380th AEW Commander, Brig. Gen. H.D. Polumbo, Jr. He said it's twice the honor being here to serve the Airmen, as well.

His expectations are simple, he said, "I'm optimistic. I want the people to continue to excel and to maintain the high standards they have already established."

Chief Smith arrived here on a one-year tour from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He was first notified about the assignment the same day he was reunited with his wife, Maj. Mary Smith, upon her return from a tour in Afghanistan. He said he and his wife hope to continue to serve; they take their commitment to the Air Force to heart.

"We're pleased to have the chief with us; he brings a wealth of experience to the wing," said General Polumbo. "I look forward to having him on our team this year."

The command chief position entails many different duties but they revolve around two concepts, the chief said. "My job is to get the commander's policies out while representing the enlisted people."

Representing the enlisted corps to the wing leadership takes a lot of interaction and familiarization. "I do that through one-on-one contact: through the first sergeants, through the group chiefs, the squadron chiefs, the senior (noncommissioned officers) and NCOs, and also through the feedback I get from the Airmen," Chief Smith said.

Representing a large body of individuals requires honest communication and candid feedback. "If I ask an opinion, I expect honest feedback. When the general asks how we are doing, we need to reply respectfully, but candidly. Anything less is a disservice to one's peers and the Air Force."

The chief sewed on command chief in June, 2006, when he became the command chief for both the 88th Air Base Wing and the Aeronautical Systems Center at WPAFB. He said he often refers to his experience as a first sergeant when weighing decisions.
"I call on my first-sergeant experiences when considering how to approach a new job. It's easier for me to come in and adapt to procedures already in place for 1,600 to 1,700 people - they work for a reason - than to ask them to adapt to me," Chief Smith explained. "I'm not in the business of saying, 'change this, change that ...' I'll evaluate things and look at how things are going and formulate impressions and then perhaps make recommendations."

With 26 years behind him in active-duty service, the chief could have retired in lieu of agreeing to take this assignment, but he said the opportunity to be a command chief in the area of responsibility was too great.

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity to lead Airmen in the AOR; to advocate for them; to be a part of the global war on terrorism - it wasn't a tough decision," he said.

Chief Smith said he walked into this assignment with an open mind and so far he's found reassurance not only in the statistics, but also in the people he's met. "I'm impressed with many things, to include the low discipline numbers and the high mission capability numbers. The people here are doing their job well, and that makes my job easier."

First impressions can be lasting, and if the chief's first impressions last, he will see a lot of good things over the next year. "I'm impressed with the Airmen, the way they look, act, operate and take care of things," he said. "You can see it in the little things and in the big things, too, like when those jets take off ..."