New chiefs get inducted into elite group

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Ann Stefanek
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  The Chief's Group welcomed two new members, Senior Master Sgt. Denise Mikolajczyk and Senior Master Sgt. Steven Lantz, into the highest enlisted rank in a recognition ceremony held at the Consolidated Club Feb. 9. 

Sergeant Mikolajczyk, 39th Mission Support Squadron manpower and organization flight chief, and Sergeant Lantz, 39th Operations Squadron radar approach controller chief controller, were both selected for promotion in November and sew on the new rank when their line numbers come up. 

The guest speaker, Chief Master Sgt. Gary Coleman, U.S. Air Forces Europe's command chief, honored the newest chiefs by giving a historical retrospective of the enlisted corps. He explained that in 1959, the first group of chiefs "quietly went to work the next day wearing the new stripe." That first group of Chiefs pushed for a recognition ceremony and a special name -- Chief, which would set them apart. 

"Although it took them some time, they got their way and the ceremony tonight is the result of their efforts," he said. Chief Coleman also reminded the newest chiefs that "they earned their new promotions" and explained "that only two out of every 100 Airmen who enter basic training will reach the grade of chief master sergeant and only one of those can serve at a time." 

The Chief's Group planned all aspects of the special ceremony in order to appropriately honor their peers. When asked about the ceremony, Chief Master Sgt. Tracy Ship, 39th Medical Group, explained, "my favorite part of tonight is the Medallion Ceremony, which took place privately. It was a way for us to personally welcome our friends into the Chief's Group." 

During the solemn candle ceremony, sergeants Mikolajczyk and Lantz lit candles representing each of the nine enlisted grades achieved over their careers in order to remind them of where they'd come from. Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Antwine, 39th Air Base Wing command chief, expressed his delight at seeing young Airmen attending the ceremony. 

"It is very important to reach back and bring those young Airmen along to events like this. Just as it is important for the chiefs to remember where they came from, young Airmen need to see the possibilities of where they can go." 

When asked about the significance of the event, Sergeant Mikolajczyk said, "this still doesn't seem real to me. I'm just thrilled."