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Stars rise in 33d Fighter Wing sky

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Phillip O. Butterfield
  • 33d Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Command chief master sergeant is an elite position that only chief master sergeants, who make up less than 1 percent of the senior-most enlisted members of the Air Force, can hold. 

Chief Master Sgt. Douglas Kesler, the new 33d Fighter Wing command chief, joined the wing Aug. 28 when he replaced Chief Master Sgt. Michael Gilbert, who moved on to be the command chief master sergeant for Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field. Chief Kesler brings nearly 27 years of experience in the Air Force to the wing in his second assignment as a command chief. 

The chief brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the 33d FW as both a first sergeant and command chief. 

Chief Kesler is from Sioux City, Iowa, and he enlisted in the Air Force in December 1979. His background includes duties as a maintenance systems analyst and a first sergeant. 

He has served in seven major commands at 11 different bases. 

As an analyst, he served in special duty assignments during the initial stages of the F-117 Stealth Fighter program and as a technical training instructor. He became a first sergeant in 1995 and has served in that position in several different units at three bases as well as during deployments to Sheikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain, and Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait. 

"Being a first sergeant at so many different units was a real eye-opening experience," said Chief Kesler. "It allowed me to experience all different sides of the Air Force lifestyle, which in turn, has made me a better leader. I want to use my experience to add to the 33d Fighter Wing's incredible reputation of fielding the best trained Airmen to fight in the Global War on Terrorism." 

Chief Kesler has the unique opportunity to see training come full circle. His previous assignment at Sheppard AFB, Texas was where he witnessed the training of aircraft maintenance Airmen. Here at the 33d FW he can see the training pay off in a mission-oriented environment. 

"I'm glad I got to come here," said Chief Kesler. "I was fortunate to spend the last two years seeing the beginning of Air Force careers at Sheppard Air Force Base and now I get to witness the continuance of these careers out there on the flightline."
According to Chief Kesler, the 33d FW's role in the ongoing Global War on Terrorism, whether it's deployments to the desert or Operation Noble Eagle missions--will provide him with more than enough opportunities to add to the 33d FW's incredible training reputation. 

"I expect great things from this new command chief," said Col. Russ Handy, 33d FW commander. "He has big shoes to fill taking over a world-class organization like the 33d Fighter Wing from Chief Gilbert, but he has a tremendous background and reputation and is precisely the right chief for the job. We are proud to have him on the Nomad team."