AF selects 3 Sheppard sergeants to pin on chief

  • Published
  • By 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Three Sheppard senior master sergeants were selected for promotion to the highest enlisted rank of chief master sergeant.

Those selected for promotion include: Senior Master Sgt. Michael Nowlin, 373rd Training Squadron; Senior Master Sgt. Jonathan Shane, 82nd Medical Support Squadron; and Senior Master Sgt. Benjamin Saunders, 372nd TRS.

The 82nd Training Wing celebrated the sergeants' selection at a promotion party at the Sheppard Club amongst family, friends and coworkers. 

All three chief selectees said they were extremely happy and excited to have made it to the top 1% of the enlisted corps - not to mention relieved. 

"When I saw my name on the list, they could have probably heard me down the hall, I was shouting for joy," Sergeant Saunders said. 

They all said their next step, now that they've made chief, is to continue to mentor the next generation of chiefs and to support the Air Force's warrior Airmen. 

"(My job is to) mentor the next generation, to make sure they know all of their opportunities," Sergeant Shane said. "I want to make sure no one can say 'no one ever told me.'"

Sergeant Nowlin said he faced challenges every day on his road to becoming a chief, but just kept doing his job. He said to not focus on the promotion race and not get lost in it.

"If you take care of yourself, take care of your people and do they best you can, the promotions will take care of themselves," Sergeant Nowlin said. "Put the Air Force first and it will take care of you."

The board, which convened here Oct 15-25, considered 2,476 senior master sergeants for a 16.80 percent select rate. Last year's selection rate was 16.85 percent.

The average score for those selected was 671.39 with an average time in grade and time in service of 3.04 and 23.49 years respectively. The average score was based on the following point averages:
-- 135 for enlisted performance reports;
-- 27.75 for time in grade;
-- 23.75 for time in service;
-- 24.29 for decorations;
-- 66.35 for Air Force supervisory examination; and
-- 394.25 for board score.

Score notices should be available by 5 p.m. CST Nov. 14 via each Airman's Air Force Portal personal page or on AFPC's virtual MPF.

Those selected will be promoted to E-9 beginning in January.