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Retired CMSAF Robert Gaylor speaks at numerous venues at Scott

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brian Butkus
  • 375 Airlift Wing Public Affairs
23/01/07 --  The fifth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Robert Gaylor, visitied Scott Air Force Base Friday at an Enlisted call, the Airman Leadership School, First Term Airman Center graduation, and then headed to the Scott Club for the chief master sergeant and sergeant major induction ceremony.

Chief Gaylor reached the Air Force's highest enlisted position, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, and served as enlisted advisor from 1977 to 1979.

"It's an honor to have Chief Gaylor and his wife, Selma, with us," said Chief Master Sgt. Carl Hunsinger, 375th Airlift Wing command chief, as he introduced Chief Gaylor to the crowd. "He is an integral part of our Air Force history an part of our Air Force history and hopefully all of you will take something from this call today."

Throughout his speech Chief Gaylor stressed the importance of having pride in what you do, because no matter how trivial a job may seem it is an important part of the Air Force machine.

In addition to telling several stories about his career and experiences that occurred after he retired, Chief Gaylor always followed it up with a laugh or two.

"My wife and I have been married for 54 years. Do you know what the secret to staying together that long is?" asked Chief Gaylor. "A night of dinner and dancing once a week - she goes out Tuesdays and I go out on Thursdays."

At the age of 17, Chief Gaylor decided joining the Air Force seemed like the best decision he could make for himself at the time.

After completing Basic Military Training in 1948, he went to Waco Air Force Base, Texas, where he was assigned to Security Police.

More than 50 years later, the chief and his wife still travel to different bases to pass on the same message he did when he was the CMSAF.

"Today I am here speaking to members of Scott, tomorrow I will be heading to Hill AFB and after that it's off to Europe," said Chief Gaylor. "I will continue to be a part of the Air Force as long as my health permits it."

"As you sit here today, you have talents, skills and abilities that I don't have and vice versa - I can talk longer than you can listen. You may be able to make the perfect salad or fix a car and that's not something that I can say I excel at," said Chief Gaylor. "But that's what we are all about. The greatness of the Air Force comes from every one of your talents working in unison to come together and in my opinion the world's greatest Air Force."