Remembering USAF’s First Top Enlisted

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Paul Airey, the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, received a memorable birthday present when Tyndall AFB, Fla., officials renamed the NCO Academy there in his honor. The dedication ceremony also marked the beginning of the academy’s 50th year of service. Airey, who retired at Tyndall in 1970, said, “I am proud and a little in awe,” while CMSgt. Thomas Schwenk, commandant of the NCOA, called him a “trailblazer for the enlisted corps.”

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org