SCANG Command Master Sergeant Change of Command
May 27, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – May 27, 2009 – The SCANG and 169th Fighter Wing said goodbye to their command chief master sergeants and welcomed their replacements during a ceremony held on base May 17.
State Command CMSgt. Mark Morrell assumed command of the state’s highest enlisted position from outgoing State Command CMSgt. James Edwards in a ceremony in the hangar with a mass formation of more than 1,200 Air Guard members.
Brig. Gen. John Motley, State Assistant AG for Air, lauded Edward’s accomplishments, calling attention to his distinguished career and the respect he earned as the voice of the SCANG’s airmen. When Jim spoke, people listened, said Motley.
Edwards, who has been in the SCANG since 1982, said everyone has a day when it’s time to move on and today was his day. He then thanked everyone for their support and asked God to bless everyone.
Motley announced Morrell as the incoming State Command CMSgt. and presented him with a bag of coins. The coins are a tradition dating back to World War I when military members used a unit coin to challenge one another for identity verification. The custom continues today when command leadership rewards performance of subordinates by presenting them with a coin.
Additionally, the 169th FW Command CMSgt. Terry Wingard relinquished command to CMSgt. Zane Wall.
Col. Scott Williams, 169th FW commander, shared the feedback of the previous day’s visit from the National Guard Bureau’s Command CMSgt. Richard Smith. Chief Smith attributed the Fighter Wing’s achievements and success to the leadership of our Senior NCOs who have mentored and trained our team, said Williams. You know as well as I that one of the finest examples of leadership is with my Wing Command Chief, Terry Wingard.
Wingard, who has served at McEntire for 41 years, was deeply moved by the ceremony saying, It was an honor to serve you, I’m proud of you. May God bless you.
Williams introduced Wall as the incoming Wing Command CMSgt. and presented him with his bag of coins. Wall thanked the leadership for allowing him to serve with the ‘best of the best’ and said being in the 169th Fighter Wing was like being in a family.
Edwards and Wingard were presented with Certificates of Service and the new Command chiefs, Morrell and Wall, had their chief stripes tacked on during the ceremony. The position of Command Chief Master Sergeant is a title reserved for a select few in the Air Force, said Williams. Today was about recognizing the voice of our enlisted members and paying tribute to their leadership.
(by Capt. Cindi King)
