Chiefs retire from Air Force after six decades

  • Published
  • By Debbie Aragon
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  With a combined total of six decades of active-duty service, Chief Master Sgts. Lisa and Roger Sirois retired from the Air Force July 6 in front of several hundred friends, family and Team Offutt members.

Chief (Lisa) Sirois ends her career as the 55th Wing's command chief while Chief (Roger) Sirois' career concludes as the 55th Communications Squadron's superintendent.

As the presiding officer for their retirement in the Patriot Club Ballroom, 55th WG Commander Brig. Gen. John N.T. Shanahan said it would be very difficult to do appropriate justice to the Sirois' and their 60 years of service during a one-hour retirement ceremony, but he was going to try.

"Two individuals, 30 years a piece," the general said, "how much sacrifice that service has entailed both professionally and personally. And, while I haven't been able to get the proof, I'm 99.9 percent positive that these are the only two people on active duty today that came in to the U.S. Air Force together (as a married couple) and are now retiring at the same time ... what an incredible accomplishment."

During his remarks, the general likened the Sirois' career to an equalizer, a key component in a stereo system used to balance tones of music through the left and right channels.

For every spike of achievement noted on the career equalizer for Chief (Lisa) Sirois, Chief (Roger) Sirois would follow with an achievement of his own, the general explained, equalizing the Sirois team.

"They started off equal when they entered the Air Force in 1980. (And at their first base, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio) immediately both were recognized for the extraordinary work they were doing," General Shanahan said.

While in Ohio, Chief (Lisa) Sirois was promoted to senior airman below the zone, the general noted, creating an uptick on her side of the equalizer. It wasn't long before Chief (Roger) Sirois responded with an uptick of his own.

This would be the pattern throughout their careers, the general said, citing numerous examples of excellence.

"They were the technical experts in what they did day in and day out," the general said.
Take the two records side by side, and pull accolades at any time in their careers out of one and drop them into the other, and you would never know the difference because they both said the same thing, General Shanahan explained.

In addition to excelling in mission accomplishment, the chiefs have the ability to balance mission and people, according to the general.

"The reason we have someone who has been a (first sergeant) four times and a command chief three times is because they knew how to take care of Airmen with a capital 'a' - civilians, contractors, blue suiters - and they did it in spectacular fashion like nobody else could," General Shanahan said. "They knew about morale, they knew about quality of life, they knew about making sure people were listened to.

"It comes down to the core of who they are," the general said. "They are the keepers of the flame for our Air Force family. They have looked upon that duty seriously for the last 30 years. It is their responsibility to take care of our Airmen.

"At the same time, they have been and continue to be the enforcers of standards. It's about responsibility and accountability and I watched both of them do that in the course of our time here and I know they did that throughout their entire 30-year careers," he said.
Although the general said he could call the chiefs irreplaceable, "we all know that's not true," he said.

"I will say the impact they have had on Airmen and our service is irreplaceable. We can't duplicate what they've done and the impact they have had on so many thousands of Airmen during the course of their respective 30-year careers," General Shanahan said, adding, "You may be replaced, but you will never be duplicated."

At the conclusion of the general's remarks, the Sirois' took to the podium and thanked everyone for attending the event, including Sixth Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James McCoy and his wife Kathy. Chief McCoy, they noted, was chief master sergeant of the Air Force when the couple entered the service and said they were "honored."

They also recognized their sons Brad and Kyle, and their granddaughter Kaya.

"They are the most important people in our life," Chief (Lisa) Sirois said, "We are so proud of our sons."

While General Shanahan likened the Sirois' career to an equalizer in his remark, Chief (Roger) Sirois said he likens it to being in the Tour De France with Lance Armstrong.

"I've thought about how I could liken our careers," said Chief (Roger) Sirois during the ceremony, "and I kind of likened it to being in the Tour de France ... You know you're a hell of a bikeman and you're in the Tour De France but you're not Lance Armstrong ... she is.

"So, she sets out in a blinding pace and you pedal your ass off and you catch up to her," he said. "Then, she looks at you, smiles and says, 'Hey, nice to see ya,' and then takes off again. But unlike Lance's teammates, I get to go through the finish line with her."

"For years he's been saying how he's lifted me up so I could excel," Chief (Lisa) Sirois said at the conclusion of the retirement ceremony, "how he's been the wind beneath my wings ... he's done the laundry, he's raised the boys, he's done it. We've laughed about it for 30 years but the fact is, it's true and I love you so much for it," she said as she turned to her husband before they embraced.

The Sirois' plan to remain in the area for the short term.