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Air Force Mourns the Loss of First Chief Master Sergeant of
the Air Force
By Senior Master Sgt. Sean E. Cobb
Office of the Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force
11 Mar 2009
Webmaster Note: This is a very sad day for the Air Force
Enlisted Airman. One of our great enlisted leaders has passed and with him
one more of our Charter Chiefs. I
hope the Enlisted Force Writes of CMSAF Airey's accomplishments like they have
for prior CSAF.
 WASHINGTON,
DC — Former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Paul Wesley Airey died today
in Panama City, Fla.
“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 is the most respected enlisted Airmen in the history of the Air
Force,” said Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley. "When we
speak of today's Airmen standing upon the shoulders of giants as they reach for
the sky and stars -- it was upon Paul Airey's shoulders they stood. We will
truly miss his leadership, counsel and friendship."
The first CMSAF was always a leader. 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 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.
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.
After retirement, Chief Airey lived in Panama City, Fla. with his wife Shirley.
Mrs. Airey died in 2001.
Chief Airey was always proud of Airmen. “I have seen many changes as we
progressed from simple air power to today’s aerospace force. The enlisted corps
has kept pace with that progress, for it is pride and dedication that keep
enlisted men at their posts, not the lure of an easy life and secure future. It
is the desire to serve our country that motivates today’s Air Force,” he said at
the Air Force’s 20th Anniversary ceremony in 1967.
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 truly spent a lifetime serving a nation and a force he loved, said
Michael Donley, Secretary of the Air Force. "From his first days flying World
War II combat missions in Europe, to his work improving the welfare of enlisted
personnel as the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, and his recent
role as a mentor to today's Airmen, Chief Airey was a man of honor and
commitment to things greater than himself. His passing is mourned by all Airmen
around the globe."
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