By Senior Airman Regina Agoha
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Q: How long have you been in the Air Force?
A: 27 years. My retirement order will say 27 years, five months and 24 days. (she laughs)
Q: What kept you here past 20 years?
A: The people. I was able to be in positions where I was making a difference in people’s lives, helping them with military services and facing new challenges. I truly was a, “I’m not going to do a day over 20” person. My whole career was like, “four years and that’s it, not a day over 20,” and now being here, 27 years later, I never would have thought, but it was the serving that got me.
Q: What has been the biggest change you’ve witnessed in all your years being in the Air Force?
A: I think our leaders care a lot more about our Airmen today than they did in my day. I can’t tell you a time that I had a first sergeant come visit me in the dorms. I can’t tell you a time that I’ve had anyone ask me, “hey, are there any rumors out there that I can dispel?” The first time I ever remember a command chief ever coming to my work center, I was a master sergeant by then, and it was definitely surprising to see. I think that was the first time I ever had kind of an inkling of what a command chief does.
Q: What is your fondest memory in the Air Force?
A: That is truly hard. My favorite, I think, even though it was a difficult time, was when I deployed to Iraq with the PRESCO team (personnel support for contingency operations) and just getting (the team) through that time. It was the holidays; it was the worst time to be deployed. The job we had to do was crucial, with accountability. There were long hours. There were irate people. Even though I was a newlywed at the time, I had only been married a month and deployed for five months, that was the most rewarding experience to me.
Q: Who is the most influential person that you’ve met in the Air Force, and what did they teach you?
A: I could say Chief Master Sgt. Debra Lyles; she was a Mission Support Group chief. First of all you don’t see a lot of female chiefs. (she laughs) I knew that she was all about the Airmen. She taught me about the importance of relationships, and I just liked how well she worked with other chiefs. I think the lessons that she taught me were: be inclusive, it definitely takes a team; you can’t do it all by yourself, and I think that you’re going to have more success if you have the conversations that you need to have with people instead of just kind of dictating things.
Q: What mark do you want to leave on the Air Force and the people you’ve come in contact with?
A: I hope the mark that I leave is that people see the importance of investing time in other people. Leadership can be inconvenient because something unexpected can happen that will need your focus or attention. There’s never a convenient time to be a leader. If you’re willing to be inconvenienced, I think people will see that as a caring kind of attitude. I hope that what I leave is: invest in your people, they’re worth it. Take the time, it’s worth it, and they deserve it. They deserve that investment of your time.
Q: What has been your favorite duty station, if any, or favorite position?
A: Well as a good chief master sergeant in the Air Force, the best duty station you have is the one where your feet are planted. (she laughs) I can’t leave without saying Little Rock Air Force Base, of course. It’s been a great assignment.
Q: In honor of Women’s History, how did you feel when you realized you were coming to Little Rock AFB as the first female command chief for the 19th Airlift Wing?
A: I look at it as, “a command chief is a command chief is a command chief.” What your gender is, what your background is, it doesn’t matter. A leader is a leader. I’ll be glad when we have an Air Force or a society where there’s no longer “the first this or the first that”, because to me leadership is leadership. It’s unfortunate that people haven’t seen enough diversity in leadership. But hopefully we’ll get there. Now we’re going to have the second female command chief here. It’s not going to be a matter ofgender anymore. I just wish gender didn’t have to be a part of the conversation. I’m proud of the accomplishments of women just as I am of any member of our Air Force. I get out there with Airmen every day, and it’s never a matter of what they look like. It’s about what they bring.
Q: Now that you’re retiring, what’s on your agenda?
A: I do think that I’m going to rest for a little while, but I’m not a person that can sit around the house. (she laughs) I always said that when I retire, I have to do something that’s going to make a difference, where I’m getting up every day and I’m excited about going to work and I’m excited about interacting with the people I’m going to interact with and that I’m helping. When I retire, the next career that I have will definitely have to be something that’s going to help people because that’s what I like to do.
Q: How does your family feel about your retirement?
A: Everybody is excited. Everybody wants me to retire. (she laughs) I’m the one that’s feeling mixed emotions about it.
Q: What are your emotions about retiring?
A: Opposite ends of the spectrum. I’m excited; it feels right, but at the same time, it’s sad because this is all I know. I’m an Air Force brat too. My whole entire life has been in the Air Force community.
Q: What is your advice to Airmen progressing in the Air Force?
A: I would say, focus on being the best that you can be. I know you hear it all the time, but it really is true. I never aspired to be a chief; I never aspired to be a command chief. It was other people who saw potential that motivated me and helped me to become inspired to do it. It was someone else who looked at my work ethic and saw that leadership potential in me that later on inspired me. If you focus on being the very best at whatever you’re given, all that other stuff is going to come along. That’s leadership. Not every job that you’re going to do every single day is going to excite you. How do you act in those times when you have to do something that is not the most fun thing to do? Are you still going to give it your best anyway? That’s what people want to see. Leadership is not just “everything’s great and wonderful, great guy, great gal,” it’s how you respond to adversity and tough times. What kind of attitude do you have when things aren’t going your way?
Q: What is your final thought to Little Rock Air Force Base?
A: It’s in good hands. I hope I’m missed but not needed. I know I’m not needed, and I’m OK with that. That’s not what leadership is. When I walk away, there are other leaders that are going to do just fine. They are going to carry it on. I’m not sad about giving up this position so to speak, I’m sad because the Air Force is my family, and I’m going to miss a lot of people, but I know that the Air Force is in great hands. And it goes on. I feel confident that we have people that have a heart for taking care of our Airmen. They have a passion for the mission and the job that they do. My sadness is in missing my Air Force family.
Q: Anything else you want to add?
A: Thank you. It’s very humbling. Who would have thought, you know? I’m thankful for all the experiences I’ve had, for the people that I’ve interacted with, for the things I’ve learned and the relationships that were made. If I could sum it all up, I do have a very big heart of gratitude. I’m excited about the future, but I’m sad about leaving this behind because I’m just so grateful for all the things I’ve learned. The Air Force has been really good to me. I don’t know one other thing in life that I could have done that would be more fulfilling than serving in the Air Force.
Q: If there was one word you would use to wrap up 27 years, five months and 24 days of service, what would it be?
A: I would say fulfilling… deeply fulfilling.
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