Liberty Wing welcomes new Command Chief

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Abby Finkel
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
The 48th Fighter Wing recently welcomed its new command chief master sergeant, Chief Master Sgt. Ernesto J. Rendon, into the Liberty Wing family.

Prior to his arrival at RAF Lakenheath, Rendon was the 721st Air Mobility Operations Group superintendent at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Rendon's new position as command chief entails serving as the primary advisor to the commander on topics ranging from mission effectiveness to the overall readiness and well-being of base personnel.

"My priorities are to communicate the commander’s messages to Airmen, to understand our Airmen's challenges and desires and to figure out how to make life better for them,” said Rendon. “I figure out how to take care of our Airmen so they can take care of our mission."

Rendon first began to really appreciate the importance of the command chief’s role when he was a young first sergeant at Yokota AB in Japan.

“You could see the positive impact he had on Airmen and how he had the opportunity to help them,” he said. “He became my model for what I wanted to be.”

Years before this realization, a young, newly-enlisted Rendon was a hard worker, but hadn’t yet completely bought into the Air Force way of life. He pushed the limits, like many young Airmen do, from just how long he could go without a shave to seeing how late he could leave for work and still arrive on time.

As he ascended through the ranks, and with the help of a lot of patient mentors, he began to embrace the Air Force culture and the concepts of good Wingmanship. When he promoted to the rank of staff sergeant while stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Washington, he finally realized what it meant to truly be an Airman.

"Being responsible for other people," Rendon said, "and realizing what it means to supervise and care about Airmen and their success, that's when I started to really fully commit to the Air Force. I realized that this organization's values are something I can absolutely get behind."

The realization has helped shape Rendon into the leader he is today.

"Today, as I walk around and I meet our Airmen,” Rendon said, “it's easier for me to listen with an empathetic ear, because I can understand what it's like to not be fully bought in. I can understand what it feels like to really just care about your paycheck and your days off, because I was there at one point.”

You never know what potential these younger Airmen could have, Rendon continued, which is why it’s important to have patient, dedicated leadership to help them fully embrace Air Force values and become the best versions of themselves.

But it isn't just up to leaders. Airmen can also improve themselves by cultivating three things--resiliency, attitude and professionalism, which Rendon calls "RAP."

Resiliency

Resiliency is the most important thing each one of us can have, Rendon said. Resilient Airmen are able to take care of themselves and their families and execute the mission. To remain at their best, each Airman needs to be able to self-advocate and have the courage to ask for help when they need it.

Attitude

"Attitude is a choice every single day," Rendon said. "Life can throw a lot at you, but how you choose to respond is conveyed to the world through your attitude."

Professionalism

When things go awry, Rendon said, maintaining professionalism allows Airmen to embrace core values and be more successful.

In order to be effective, RAP is something Airmen should internalize, not memorize, Rendon said. That way it can really help them to be better Airmen.

While Airmen can both advocate for themselves and work hard to better themselves, leaders like Rendon are also working hard to help in any way they can.