New chief survives on satisfaction

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jay Ponder
  • 908th Airlift Wing
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  An Airman who attended third grade at Maxwell Air Force Base is now one of the 908th Airlift Wing's newest senior enlisted members.

James M. Rickels, a member of the 357th Airlift Squadron, recently pinned on the rank of chief master sergeant. But Rickels is very modest in taking any credit on his own behalf, instead choosing to thank everyone who has been a part of his military career.

Born at Shaw AFB, S.C., Rickels is the son of a career Air Force air traffic controller who came to Maxwell in 1975, where he would eventually retire.

In 1988, Rickels walked off the streets and into the 908th, and has been here as a loadmaster ever since. His first senior enlisted advisor, prior to the creation of the command chief position, was J.B. Thompson.

Rickles explained that Thompson was a loadmaster who came became enlisted advisor and later, a chief.

"That's when I realized that loadmasters have a chance," (to become chief), he said.

That moment when the new chief realized he had found his niche didn't take long. "I'd been a loadmaster for about a month when Chief Master Sgt. Michael Harper took me out on a Joint Airborne/Air Transportability Training, a mission in California where we dropped Navy SEALs at 25,000 feet. I opened up the back of the airplane and I'm hanging out 25,000 feet looking around and that was it!"

He recounted a humanitarian mission undertaken immediately after the massive Haiti earthquake in 2010.

"We carried several medical airlifts out of Port-au-Prince, Haiti into South Florida. That is the moment, I realized, what I'm doing is important."

He gives the now-retired Chief Harper credit for helping to set him on the road to becoming chief.

"Right after I got out of basic training, he was my supervisor here," Rickels said. "That's a big set of shoes to fill."

Other chiefs he has looked up to as mentors who have had a positive impact on his career include 908th command chiefs Chief Master Sgt. Owen Duke, AFRC Command Chief Master Sgt. Cameron Kirksey and former 908th Command Chief Master Sgt. Linda Roberts. He also credits several officers and enlisted personnel he has worked with. In that career, Rickels has learned the importance of improving lines of communication. As a new chief, he wants to work on ensuring that the lines between officer and enlisted are improved by leading from example.

"As great as things are, there are always opportunities to enhance communication between people," he said.

As an example, he said one of the great things about being part of an aircrew is the use of resource management by members of any rank.

"If you see something that's unsafe, you bring it up right then. That mentality of knowing you have to do the right thing. "

Reflecting upon the career he's led, the 357th's newest chief said he's going to continue doing what he's done since his first mission many years ago, doing whatever it takes to get the mission done.

"You're not in it for the glory or the ribbons and medals. It's the satisfaction," he said.