Sheppard's NCOs inducted to SNCOs

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Candy Miller
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Fifty-six NCOs were welcomed to the rank of master sergeant during a Senior NCO induction ceremony Aug. 8 at the Multi-Purpose Events Center in Wichita Falls.

The guest speaker for the event, retired Chief Master Sgt. Don Hatcher, said now that these Airmen have earned their sixth stripe, they need to help their people move forward.

"Always raise the bar," he said, "that's how you keep your people moving forward in a positive direction."

Chief Hatcher said it's important to live by certain standards including measuring up to the Airmen before who wore dog tags; living by the words of the Oath of the Enlistment, the Airman's Creed and the SNCO Creed.

"This is who you are, this is what you stand for, this is your standard," Chief Hatcher said as he held up a chevron with six stripes.

Brig. Gen. O.G. Mannon, 82nd Training Wing commander, agreed with the chief.

"Don't just enforce the standard," he said, "set the standard."

Commanders need SNCOs, Chief Hatcher said, and need to be able to completely trust them to do their job and know that a SNCO is being a good role model for the young lieutenants and Airmen.

"Make sure everyone knows what you stand for and what you stand for is right," he said.

Chief Hatcher said the way a SNCO leads the troops is a matter of life and death.

"Induction ceremonies are important because of dog tags. How well you wear your stripes determines how many dog tags the commander has to collect," he said.

The average master sergeant selectee has 4.32 years' time in grade and 16.56 years in service. Out of 24,223 eligible, 5,404 were selected, for a 22.31 percent selection rate.