News

Command Chief Mack bids farwell

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Daniel Liddicoet
  • 446 Airlift Wing
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. --  
After fours and a half years as the Command Chief of the 446th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and 29 years at the wing, Chief Master Sgt. Tony Mack is moving on.

The Rainier Wing will have to bid farewell to Mack this summer as he prepares to take his talents to the 934th Air Wing at the Minneapolis – St. Paul Joint Air Reserve Station in Minnesota effective Aug. 1.

Mack gave many years of honorable service to the 446th Airlift Wing in various capacities.

Spending his military career in the Air Force Reserve as a traditional reservist at McChord Field, Mack served as first sergeant for the 446th Mission Support Squadron and then the 86th Aerial Port Squadron prior to becoming command chief. His first sergeant experience started in the 446th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron as the assistant first sergeant for three years after spending 11 years in the aircraft maintenance field.

During his years as command chief, Mack placed a particular emphasis on civic involvement.

“We’re inside the wire,” Mack said, “but 99 percent of the population never steps foot on a military installation. The more that we’re able to reach out to our corporate leaders, our civic leaders, our educators and bring them over and show them what we do, it makes a big difference in our community to understand what we do and how important it is.”

“We work for civilians,” he continued. “Our paychecks come from the public, so we need to show them what we do and why.”

Helping to develop and implement new guidance for the enlisted force structure has also been a primary aspect of Chief Mack’s legacy as command chief.

“Enlisted force development has really been a focus for me,” said Mack. “I’m looking forward to passing on the philosophy of developing senior NCOs to take on bigger roles. It’s really about buying into the development process and learning how to be proactive leaders, then letting that cascade down.”

Feeling as though it is his time to make room for the next command chief at the 446th Airlift Wing, Chief Mack will move on with many fond memories of a wing he described as “one of the best around.”