ACC command chief visits Team Offutt

  • Published
  • By Ryan Hansen
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Team Offutt welcomed the highest ranking enlisted Airman in Air Combat Command for a two-day visit to base July 19-20.

Chief Master Sgt. Richard Parsons took over as command chief of ACC in November and this was his first official visit to the base.

"It's such an honor to be here at Offutt," he said. "The 55th Wing does a tremendous job, and I'm so thankful for all the sacrifices you all make for our great nation."

Parsons enlisted in the Air Force in 1985 and has spent most of his career in the security forces career field. He has deployed in support of Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.

During his whirlwind two-day stop Parsons visited multiple base agencies, toured an RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, talked with hundreds of Airmen and served as the feature speaker at a senior NCO induction ceremony.

Throughout his visit he continually thanked the Airmen and their families for their sacrifices.

"While we serve in the Air Force, it's our families that typically sacrifice for us," he said. "However, I will say those sacrifices you all make is absolutely worth it because our children and our grandchildren will get to choose whatever they want to be because you defend their freedom, and I can't thank you all enough."

Parsons said those sacrifices will continue to be needed as our country is facing budget challenges that continue to affect the Air Force.

"A lot of times we think the next threat is coming from Iran, China or Al-Qaeda, however that is not the threat that is most important to our nation today," he said. "The most critical and potentially damaging threat facing us today is the fiscal challenge that we are facing."

The chief said the Defense Department is facing a cut of $487 billion to its budget and that will have massive impacts to the services.

"We've already removed thousands of Airmen and we are talking about losing even more now," Parsons said.

But the chief said he knows whatever challenges are put forth to the Air Force, we will overcome them.

"We've been through tough times before, and it is our Airmen that will lead us through these challenging times ahead of us with courageous leadership," he said. "This is nothing new to America, we were founded on courageous leadership. Our founding fathers, as well as Abraham Lincoln, Billy Mitchell and Martin Luther King Jr. all made great personal sacrifices as they courageously lead us through challenging times."

Parsons said courageous leadership is understanding that there is something out there more important than one's own personal progress.

"We are a part of something much larger than any of us," he said. "If we don't understand that we'll be less than the leaders we need to be to face these challenges."

Another topic Parsons stressed during this visit to Offutt was that Airmen should set priorities and live a balanced life. He said that's key to dealing with the stresses of life.

"This isn't something new, but the best thing to deal with stress is to live a balanced life and focus on the social, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of our life," he said. "This doesn't come naturally, we must have to intentionally put those things in our life and develop them so we can handle the stresses of life."

As the command chief for ACC, Parsons advises the commander on mission effectiveness, professional development, military readiness, training, utilization, health, morale and welfare of more than 55,000 assigned enlisted personnel around the globe.

"When you look at his impact as the ACC command chief, you can truly see what magnitude his job as advisor entails," said Chief Master Sgt. William Thomaston, 55th Wing command chief. "He's a great Airman, a great American and we're so pleased he was able to spend time with us."

Before assuming his current position, Parsons served as the command chief for United States Air Forces Central Command.