CMSAF #11 visits the Warriors of the North

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cierra Presentado
  • 319 ABW/PA
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D --  The 11th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force recently visited Airmen at Grand Forks Air Force Base, toured various facilities and also served as the guest speaker at this year’s senior non-commissioned officer induction ceremony.

Retired Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David J. Campanale, was an advisor to the secretary and chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force on matters concerning welfare, effective utilization and progress of the enlisted members from October 1994- November 1996.

During his visit, Campanale had breakfast with Airmen followed by a Q&A session. The chief then met with the base honor guard team who supports the nation’s second largest area of responsibly, which spreads across four states.

“Being able to be here and engage with the Airmen has been a great opportunity,” Camapanale said. “The pride they have for the base and their work centers is very apparent. The honor guard team is phenomenal; their hard work and dedication is clear proof that they are one of the best teams out there.”

Campanale also held a wing all call where he spoke on various topics regarding his time as the CMSAF as well as Airmen in today’s Air Force.

“To the Airmen who are here, remember, this assignment is what you make of it,” he said. “Get out there and find something you enjoy doing. Grand Forks is a great base; it’s all what you make of it.”

The chief made a stop at the indoor shoot house with the 319th Security Forces Squadron where he toured the facility and got to participate during hands on training.

“Being able to show Chief Campanale the indoor shoot house and walk him through our procedures and operations was a great experience,” said Staff Sgt. Paul Melicia, 319 SFS trainer. “We ran through a close-quarters combat room-clearing procedure, and the team definitely demonstrated proficiency.”

The tour concluded with a visit to the Global Hawk Operations Center, where the Chief got an in depth brief on the RQ-4 Global Hawk, a high-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft with an integrated sensor that provides global all-weather, day or night intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

The chief wrapped up his visit here as the guest speaker during the Senior NCO induction ceremony where he spoke on the subject of innovation and his career from being an Airman to becoming the 11th Chief of the Air Force.