Posted by
M*A on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 8:13:20 AM
Chief Master Sergeant Paul Wesley Airey
“Chief Airey was an Airman’s Airman and one of the true pioneers
for our service,” said Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff.
“He was a warrior, an innovator… and a leader with vision well ahead of
his time. His legacy lives today in the truly professional enlisted
force we have serving our nation… and for that we owe him a debt of
gratitude.”
Chief Airey was born in Quincy, Mass., on December 13, 1923. At
age eighteen, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December, 7,
1941, Airey quit high school to enlist in the Army Air Forces on
November 16, 1942. He later earned his high school equivalency
certificate through off-duty study. During World War II he flew as a
B-24 radio operator and additional duty aerial gunner. On his 28th
mission, then-Technical Sergeant Airey and his fellow crewmen were shot
down over Vienna, Austria, captured, and held prisoner by the German
air force from July 1944 to May 1945. During his time as a prisoner of
war he worked tirelessly to meet the basic needs of fellow prisoners,
even through a 90-day forced march.
Chief Airey held the top enlisted from April 3, 1967 to July 31,
1969. During his tenure he worked to change loan establishments
charging exorbitant rates outside the air base gates and to improve low
retention during the Vietnam Conflict. Chief Airey also led a team that
laid the foundation for the Weighted Airman Promotion System, a system
that has stood the test of time and which is still in use today. He
also advocated for an Air Force-level Senior Noncommissioned Officer
Academy. His vision became reality when the academy opened in 1973,
becoming the capstone in the development of Air Force Senior NCOs.
Chief Airey retired August 1, 1970. He continued advocating for
Airmen’s rights by serving on the boards of numerous Air Force and
enlisted professional military organizations throughout the years. He
was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Airmen Memorial Museum, a
member of the Air Force Memorial Foundation and the Air University
Foundation.
On the north wall of the Air Force Memorial in Washington D.C.,
Chief Airey’s thoughts on Airmen are immortalized, “When I think of the
enlisted force, I see dedication, determination, loyalty and valor.”
The Air Force Association honored Airey with its Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2007.
Chief Airey passed away on March 11, 2009 at his home in Panama City, Florida
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that
others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am
proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
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