Our lives and our testimonies when shared, breed the very hope, faith, love and camaraderie we need to Press On at our CROSSROADS!
Each week, Educating Our Veterans is a community responsibility using our very own experiences! The way to be strong and to make the right choice at the crossroads is to always remember the core of who we are and to share with others with a grateful heart. This is far easier said than done at times, that is why reaching out to mentors, clergy, family, and Award-Winning Authors can help us along the way!
Meet Vincent L. Howard, USAF (Ret.)
Meet Command Chief Master Sergeant Vincent Howard, USAF (Ret.) former Community Support Coordinator at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. Today Mr. Howard will share of his greatest moments in over 30 plus years of outstanding service. Chief Howard’s career role as First Sergeant spanned for over fifteen years which means he is well qualified to give back in the way of safety and higher education to more than 8.000 Airmen and their families.
Vincent Howard was born in Denver, Colorado. He was raised in San Diego, CA, graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1981. After a short stint at West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas, Vincent joined the United States Air Force as a Medical Technician. He was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; Malmstrom AFB, Montana; Kadena Air Base, Okinawa; and Hill Air Force Base Utah, where he was selected for duty as an Air Force first sergeant; he was named the Honor Graduate from the First Sergeant Training Academy in 1995.
As a first sergeant, Vincent moved from Utah to Misawa Air Base, Japan before returning to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa where he earned recognition as a Senior NCO Academy Distinguished Graduate. Following that, he served as a first sergeant at the Presidio of Monterey, California; Moron Air Base, Spain and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. As a 15-year first sergeant, Vincent was the Air Force’s longest serving first sergeant when he relinquished the duty in 2010.
Starting in 2010, Vincent served as the Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. In this position, Vincent was the base’s senior ranking enlisted service member, providing leadership to and caring for the needs of 8,000 service members, their families, and 1,800 civilian employees. He successfully deployed 4,300 Airmen supporting overseas contingency operations and positioned Davis-Monthan to win the President’s Installation Excellence Award in 2011, certifying it as the #1 Air Force base in the world. He was personally recognized by the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and earned recognition as one of the 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Arizona for 2012. After 30 years, 2 months and 14 days of service to his country, Vincent assumed civilian employment as Davis-Monthan’s Resilience Program Leader.
CMSgt Howard shares that he has had the honor under saddening circumstances to meet our President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in his life time has won Excellence Awards during his illustrious Air Force career. As a Master Degree graduate in Leadership, we can be sure that Chief Howard can empathize with fellow Airmen who are on the rise in service and with those who may be approaching retirement and separating from the USAF which is a transition we all must be well prepared to handle. The Armed Forces equips us with such vast training and demands we all develop total resiliency skills and balance our lives with mental, social, physical and spiritual techniques for wellness. We can do anything as we hear talking points of wisdom from Chief Howard and his fellow Air Force service members.
Educating Our Veterans with many voices and many unique service men and women willing to share their service highlights, talents and triumphs enriches our walk and gives us empathy and gratitude because in our country we have the freedom to speak empowerment to everyone in our community and the world.
Life is a race, a marathon and the winners endure throughout life’s various phases as when we served in our Camies 2 Civies. We are all like soldiers hoping to attain the prize which is happiness and success with our families and amongst our peers, colleagues and partners.
To emulate models and to aspire to be like our mentors is a learning experience we all cherish and we green from one another life lessons, the ability to strive and to attain our goals despite the journey, the pain and sometimes the struggle.
Spreading the spirit of resiliency and living life as transparently as possible through all the ups and downs we face in this life means we all have the chance to strap on our boots and persevere. We also share a common bond knowing our voices and vote matters but to put the work into anything we seek to obtain calls for help. Let us give you encouragement and patriotic flare today and let us share a moment to self reflect and be uplifted. Remember your goals, re-focus and re-group in order to make it to the next level or milestone on your path.
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