May 9, 2019 Echoes of 1999 rescue ring loud and clear for Goldfein, providing lessons and vision for today Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein has a direct answer when asked what echoes to this day, what continues to influence his thinking and actions even now, 20 years after he found himself on the ground in hostile surroundings, his F-16 in the distance smoldering and destroyed.