New command chief brings experience, leadership to Vance enlisted

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mary Davis
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  There are moments when Ruben Gonzalez wondered how he got this far. He went from being a shy kid from Eagle Pass, Texas, with a high school education and a lot of determination to becoming the command chief master sergeant at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., with a lot of experience and solid advice. 

"From the first day I put on my uniform and saw the command chief chevrons, I felt honored," Chief Gonzalez said. "I looked back and saw all the previous chiefs that had the opportunity to serve in this position, and now I'm entrusted with the same responsibility - it's very humbling." 

This new chapter in Chief Gonzalez's Air Force career meant moving his family from Laughlin AFB, Texas, where he served as the 47th Operations Group superintendent. While everyone else was sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner with their families, the chief and his family were packing up and moving to Vance - a transition that was easy because of the people, chief said. 

"Team Vance has been outstanding from the moment we arrived. We had people stopping by and bringing us food to make us feel at home," he said. "But Team Vance isn't just the base; it includes our local community as well. Our folks downtown are so supportive of our Airmen and the Air Force." 

The Gonzalez family got a taste of Enid hospitality shortly after they arrived when they ate at a local restaurant. The chief mentioned to a waitress they had just moved to Vance. Later as he got up to pay for the meal, the waitress told him it was already paid for by a fellow customer. 

"The folks in the local community really care about us and appreciate what we do every day," he said. 

Although his duties are new, Chief Gonzalez isn't daunted by his new position, because he overcame many obstacles to get where he is today. In fact, his personal motto comes from his grandfather's saying, "Solo triunfa en la vida quien se enfrenta a sus problemas, no quien se evita de ellos," which translates to, "Only one succeeds in life, if you face your problems - not if you avoid them." 

That saying rang true when he was presented with his first major challenge - the passing of his mother when he was 8 years old. Years later as a young Airman, he was faced with another challenge. 

"When I came into the Air Force, my reading level was very low. I had a lot of great leaders tell me I could face and overcome this by taking reading classes," the chief recalled. "After a few months of reading classes, I was reading well enough to complete my Career Development Courses." 

From there, he began taking college preparatory classes, attending college courses and earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Park University. 

"I use that motto not only for myself, but for others. When I run into a problem, I tackle it," chief said. "Because my family and mentors taught me that particular skill, it's helped my development in the long run. I'm still learning. I don't think there will ever be a time in my life when I'm done learning." 

Learning to be a good Wingman, Leader and Warrior is something we Airmen should strive for, Chief Gonzalez said. 

"I think our Airmen were spot on when they created the Airman's Creed," he said. "If you read the paragraphs of the creed, they remind you of the things we are supposed to do - day in and day out, no matter where we are around the world." 

Another area of interest to the chief is professional development. Although some professional development is structured like Professional Military Education, there is a lot of mentoring that is done off to the side between peers and supervisors, he said. 

"If you look back and no one's behind you - you've done something wrong in your career," Chief Gonzalez said. "People should be approaching you for career advice and guidance. That's one true indicator of a good leader and mentor." 

Now that he's settled in, chief said he is impressed with what he sees in Vance Airmen, and he's proud to work with Airmen that take care of the mission and each other.