News

Former Chief Master Sergeant of the AF visits Robins

  • Published
  • By Angela Woolen
  • Robins Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  At the heart of enlisted training is the Airman Leadership School. That is the reason retired Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, James Roy, attends every graduation class in Charleston, South Carolina, where he resides, and also why he dropped in on the current ALS class at Robins on Monday.

The class, which graduated Tuesday, consisted of 23 active duty, three Guardsmen and three Reservists.

"ALS is the foundation for enlisted who are getting ready to be first-line supervisors. It is the fundamental core that the Air Force provides," said Roy, the 16th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force.

During his 45 minutes with the class and other leaders, Roy shared stories of his development through his first job assignment as a heavy equipment operator to being at the Pentagon during sequestration.

He challenged the class to become the kind of leader that takes care of the troops.

"What kind of supervisor do you want to be?" he asked the audience.

Roy retired from the Air Force in January 2013, and has continued to be involved in continuing education.

He attends about 20-30 classes a year.

"It is a lifelong commitment, truly a love of the force," Roy said of his drive to continue to educate younger airmen about the importance of becoming a good leader.


Roy was asked questions ranging from his toughest assignment to how he felt he changed from when he was a first-line supervisor, to when he was the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force.

The hardest task was talking to the family members of deceased service members while stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, which houses the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs, the Department of Defense's only stateside mortuary facility.

"We still have airmen in combat, in harm's way," he explained. "It really hurt me. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do as a senior leader."

Roy added that his twin boys came later in his career and how he wished he had been more understanding of the pressures of family life to some of his subordinates.

"People had lives," said Roy.

He ended his speech with a request for all of the airmen to thank their families, whether a spouse, a child or parent, for their support.

"You have got to tell them how important they are," said Roy.