So Ya Wanna Be THE Chief?!

This is part two of a discussion with Senior Enlisted Leader of the Inter-American Air Forces Academy (IAAFA), CMSgt CJ Johnson, who shares her thoughts on the qualities of a good Chief and the experiences of female and Hispanic leaders in the Air Force. A Mexican-born American from Brownsville, Texas, she discusses the importance of confidence, competence, and a leadership philosophy based on bei...

Senior Enlisted Leader of the Inter-American Air Forces Academy (IAAFA), CMSgt CJ Johnson shares her thoughts on the qualities of a good Chief and the experiences of female and Hispanic leaders in the Air Force. A Mexican-born American from Brownsville, Texas, she discusses the importance of confidence, competence, and a leadership philosophy based on being strong, humble, and a positive light for...

Chief Bob Vásquez hosts Retired Chief Joey Meininger as the focus on the transition from military to civilian life. Chief Meininger describes his 20-year career as a firefighter and his role as a Command Chief. He explains his current work as a financial advisor in Jacksonville, Florida, and how he helps others with long-term planning. They discuss a LinkedIn post Chief Meininger wrote about the s...

Newly promoted Chief Master Sergeant, Blake Talley, at McConnell Air Force Base, discusses three of his nine promises he made to his unit. They include communicating openly and transparently with the "three T's" of timing, tone, and temperature; remaining flexible where it serves the mission while holding firm on non-negotiables like integrity and professionalism; and looking for ta...

Chief Vásquez and Chief Al Thompson focus his career transition from the Air Force to teaching Junior ROTC to his current role as a regional director for the program. Al shares his experiences and the impact of working with young students, emphasizing the importance of integrity, servant leadership, and modeling behavior as key qualities of a good chief. They discuss the requirements and benefits...

Dr. Joe Sanders is a leadership development expert, speaker, author, and mentor with a deep passion for developing leaders of character. A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, he formerly served as Director of the Center for Character and Leadership Development at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was the Squadron Commander of the 320th Training Squadron at Lackland AFB, TX, as well as Commander of the 64...

CMSgt Kimbell is the Senior Enlisted Leader at the 423d Security Forces Squadron, RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom. He leads 139 personnel performing security operations for 4,900 personnel across four United Kingdom installations.  CMSgt Kimbell was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and entered the Air Force on 24 August 2004. He served as a Security Forces member until 2023, when he was selected f...

Chief and  JR Lyda, a retired command chief, conduct a wide-ranging conversation about military culture and leadership, particularly focusing on how foundational principles have evolved over time. JR shares his 30-year military career and current work with McDonald's, emphasizing how military members receive unique education and leadership development from day one that differs from corporate...

t Col Shawn “Happy” Green is an officer in the United States Space Force. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 2007. Originally from Valatie, New York, he graduated from Ichabod Crane High School in 2002. One of Chief Bob Vásquez’ most favorite protégés, he has commanded twice: as a deployed squadron commander for the 17th Expeditionary Space Control Squadron, and as the 527th Space Aggre...

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Brown is the Commander, 318th Recruiting Squadron, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. As the commander, he leads a highly skilled team of 79 recruiters and support personnel tasked with inspiring, engaging, and recruiting health professions and line officers from a 1.2 million square mile area of responsibility encompassing 21 Northeastern states, the District of Columbia,...

Rochelle Hemingway is a retired U.S. Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant, CEO and Founder of SLAY To Success®️, and a transformational speaker dedicated to helping leaders elevate their visibility, influence, and impact. During her 30-year Air Force career, she served as a senior enlisted advisor, mentoring and advocating for thousands of Airmen while helping commanders lead through complex ch...

Chief Master Sergeant (Retired) Martha Dunning served as the Chief Enlisted Manager of Air, Space and Information Operations A3 Directorate for First Air Force Air Forces Northern, Air Forces Space, Tyndall AFB, FL upon her retirement in May 2026. She was the lead Functional Area Manager for all Battle Manager Operators in the Continental North American Aerospace Defense Command Region Enterprise....

CMSgt Patrick Cone is the Senior Enlisted Leader, 372d Recruiting Group, Riverdale, Utah. He is the primary senior enlisted advisor to the commander for operation effectiveness, readiness, and professional development. He also manages and directs resource activities; interprets and enforces policies and applicable directives to meet mission requirements. Additionally, he oversees and advises on th...

Darrius T. Smith, widely known by his nickname “Smitty,” is a military veteran, visionary leader, and the architect of the revolutionary ST4Y READY Blueprint for authentic leadership. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Darrius forged a distinguished twenty-five-year career in the United States Air Force. Smitty’s leadership style is rooted in purpose-driven leadership and a growth mindset...

Lt Col Gilberto “Coach” Perez is a senior cyber and technology leader with 19 years of experience driving U.S. Air Force IT enterprise operations, digital transformation, and cyber workforce development. As Deputy Commander of the 690th Cyberspace Operations Group, he helps lead 1,900 personnel delivering secure global connectivity to hundreds of thousands of users across more than 180 countries....

Chief Master Sergeant (Retired) Bryan Tuman grew up in southern Minnesota and entered the Air Force in the spring of 1993. Upon graduation from Basic Training, he attended the Air Force Medical Service School at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Chief Tuman’s contributions across the Air Force include assignments as a Professional Military Education Instructor, First Sergeant, and Command Chief Mast...

Joe Bogdan is a leadership educator, speaker, and lifelong student of self-mastery. He serves as Chief Learning Officer for Connecting Heads to Hearts (C2H), helping organizations develop leaders who align what they know in their heads with how they show up from their hearts. He also works as a Strategic HR Business Partner for a Fortune 200 company, where he supports senior leaders and organizati...

Chief Dan Hall returns as RETIRED Chief Dan Hall! Recently retired Chief Hall shares his thoughts on the transition process that all Chiefs eventually go through and how he handled, and is handling, it. 

Chief (Retired) Amber Houghton returns to share thoughts and experiences about another of her passions, Seek Help! One thing Chiefs or other senior leaders don't do very well is take care of themselves as they know they should. They're too busy taking care of others. But what happens when you can't give any more? Seek help! We don't, but we should!

Captain Aryemis Brown is a multi-domain warfare officer in the United States Space Force. He holds a Ph. D. in International Relations from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and is a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.

CMSgt (Ret) Dr. José A. Lugo Santiago, a proud U.S. Air Force Veteran and a visionary executive leader, founded LS|EG. With over 20 years of extensive experience, he excels in Strategy, Project and Change Management, and Business Process Re-engineering. He has successfully led large organizations, managing up to 10,000 personnel in dynamic, fast-paced environments. His expertise encompasses managi...

Lt Col Joshua Larson is the Commander of Cadet Squadron 31, U.S Air Force Academy, Colorado. In his current role, he is responsible for leading and developing warfighters of character and quality for the Unites States’ Air and Space Forces. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in Computer Science in May of 2011 and served as the commander of the 9th Communications Sq...

CMSgt (Ret) Steve Burns entered the Air Force on 25 Jul 1984, after proficiency advancing through basic training (15 training days). After completing tech training, he was assigned to Keesler Medical Center in Biloxi, MS, where he served as a medical service technician for the first 9 years of his career.  He served as a PME Instructor at NCO Academy and ALS levels, as the Superintendent of the Ai...

CMSgt (Ret) Amber Houghton is a Leadership Under Pressure Coach and 28-year USAF veteran specializing in tactical performance for football programs and high-stakes teams. She trains athletes, coaches, and parents to lead with emotional discipline, focused intensity, and mission-driven clarity - skills grounded in military command principles and refined through real field application. 

CMSgt (Ret) Billie Baber returns to discuss the plight of homeless veterans, a term that we all agree shouldn't exist, but it does, and Chief Baber is right in the thick of it, still serving those in need and setting a great example for all of us to emulate.