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AFCENT command chief holds final enlisted all call

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Benjamin Ingold
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. – Chief Master Sgt. Joseph A. Montgomery, United States Air Forces Central Command command chief, held his final all-call at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, June 6.

Montgomery spoke on his experiences working with AFCENT Airmen, reflected on his career and gave advice to future Airmen.

“I want to thank all of my AFCENT Airmen for what they did to make my time at AFCENT successful,” said Montgomery. “There is also a ton of support across Team Shaw with the entire 20th Fighter Wing team. We appreciate their support in helping us take care of our Airmen.”

He encouraged his Airmen to pursue excellence in their job and be good wingmen.

Being an outstanding technician and a subject matter expert is 49% of what he wants from his troops, said Montgomery. The other 51% is being a good Airman. This means taking care of each other, upholding their core values and being a good team member.

“What stuck out to me was the part where he said, ‘You’ve got to want it and have that desire to be the best,’” said Staff Sgt. Carolyn Mates, AFCENT Directorate of Intelligence unit deployment manager. “It inspired me to stay motivated and be great at what I do. As a UDM, I send people downrange, but I also make sure their families back here are doing well. I keep in touch with their families and see if they need anything.”

Montgomery has spent the majority of his life in the Air Force and said he has learned a lot from his successes and challenges. He said he is looking forward to finishing his 30-year career in the sunshine of Hawaii.