Flag flies at half-staff in honor of first CMSAF

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VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The flag flew at half-staff at Vance Thursday, May 28, in honor of retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Paul W. Airey, who died March 11 in Panama City, Fla.

Chief Airey was the first to hold the top enlisted position of Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, serving in the job from April 3, 1967, to July 31, 1969.

"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."

During his tenure, Chief Airey 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.

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 Dec. 13, 1923. At age 18, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, he quit high school to enlist in the Army Air Forces on Nov. 16, 1942. He later earned his high school equivalency certificate through off-duty study. 

Chief Airey retired Aug. 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. 

The secretary of the Air Force has authorized the U.S. National Flag be flown at half-staff on all buildings and grounds under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Air Force, from reveille to retreat on Thursday, May 28.