AFMC Airmen honor commander with Order of the Sword

Published Dec. 7, 2007
By John Scaggs
Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- On an evening where medieval symbolism blended with 60 years of U.S. Air Force history, Air Force Materiel Command's enlisted corps pulled a role reversal and "knighted" their leader.

Gen. Bruce Carlson, AFMC commander, was inducted into the AFMC Order of the Sword Dec. 6 during a three-hour ceremony at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The Order of the Sword is the highest honor Air Force noncommissioned officers can give to an individual who has made significant contributions to the enlisted corps.

Nearly 350 enlisted members packed the modern flight gallery to watch General Carlson become the sixth AFMC officer to be inducted since the command stood up July 1, 1992.

The original order of the sword was patterned after two orders of chivalry founded during the Middle Ages in Europe: the (British) Royal Order of the Sword and the Swedish Military Order of the Sword, still in existence today. In 1522, King Gustavus I of Sweden ordered the noblemen commissioned by him to appoint officers to serve him. They were the accountants, builders, craftsmen, teachers, scribes, and other leaders responsible for conducting the ordinary daily affairs of the kingdom. These people became known as the noncommissioned officers, or NCOs.

Through the ages, NCOs have honored their leaders and pledged loyalty to them by ceremoniously presenting them with a sword. The sword, a symbol of truth, justice, and power rightfully used, served as a token for all to see and know that here was a leader amongst leaders and a man amongst men.

Symbolism and military tradition were evident as soon as the guest of honor arrived. To enter the museum, General Carlson walked under a formation of sabers raised by an Honor Guard consisting of enlisted members from throughout the command.

During the Order of the Sword ceremony, General Carlson received a proclamation signed by key participants of the ceremony. He received a U.S. flag flown at each AFMC installation by enlisted personnel in honor of General Carlson. The general also received a personal sword. Lastly, a scroll signed by those attending was presented to the general. The scroll attests to the firm belief of General Carlson's patriotic service and leadership.

Retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Sam E. Parish, the eighth chief master sergeant of the Air Force, introduced a congratulatory video from retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Paul Wesley Airey, the first chief master sergeant of the Air Force.

General Carlson's leadership "is a reference point for commanders across the Air Force," Chief Parish said.

Chief Master Sgt. Jonathan Hake, AFMC's command chief master sergeant, served as chief master sergeant of the mess during the ceremony. Chief Hake cited General Carlson's character as well as his concern for training and living conditions for enlisted personnel among the reasons for the general's selection.

"Key programs such as quality base housing, infrastructure and equipment upgrades, along with his focus on professional development and quality of life programs for Airmen and families demonstrate General Carlson's commitment to the enlisted force," Chief Hake said.

In his comments to the crowd, General Carlson spoke of the values instilled in him by his parents, who attended the ceremony.

"I learned more about leadership from an Army Air Corps corporal, my father, than all of my military leadership courses combined," General Carlson said.

He noted that the U.S. Air Force's enlisted corps serves as the model for leaders from foreign air forces.

"It was never our budget, or our space assets that foreign military leaders wished they had in their air force," General Carlson said. "What they admired was our enlisted corps. You are the envy of other nations.

"It is a distinct honor to be associated with you this evening," the general added. "Not only is this the highlight of my military career ... but when I look back on this it will be one of the highlights of my life."

During an interview prior to the ceremony, General Carlson said his first experience with Air Force enlisted personnel occurred while attending the University of Minnesota's Air Force ROTC program in the late 1960s.

"Then Master Sgt. Bob Stevens was the ROTC detachment's noncommissioned officer in charge," the general said. "He was a tall, thin man and the uniform he wore was immaculate. Sergeant Stevens mentored a few of us cadets. He taught us how to wear the uniform properly and the meaning of the word 'professionalism'."

Unfortunately, the general's impression of Air Force enlisted members waned after entering active duty in June 1971.

"By 1975, when I was flying OV-10s out of Thailand, I had witnessed some enlisted members improperly wearing the uniform or not saluting officers outdoors," the general said. "The pride and professionalism I had seen in Sergeant Stevens wasn't as prevalent during that era. I believe it was, in part, due to the fact that a percentage of the Air Force's enlisted corps consisted of people from the draft. Many of them didn't want to be where they were or doing the job they were assigned to do. They were poisoning the water.

"It took the Air Force a few years to weed out those from the draft," General Carlson continued. "By the late 1970s, I began to consistently see more dedication and professionalism from enlisted members.

"I remember one experience I had with a technical sergeant that I sat next to," General Carlson said. "He was an administrative specialist - known as a '702' which was not considered to be a glamorous job. I went to file some paperwork and he stopped me. He said, 'sir, I'll do anything you ask and I'm here to support you ... but please don't touch my files!' He was dedicated to his job and took pride in doing it well."

General Carlson's appreciation for enlisted personnel grew even more in the 1990s during stints as the vice wing commander at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and as the wing commander at Holloman AFB, N.M.

"Those positions led to guest speaking engagements and attendance at professional military education graduations," he said. "I learned more about enlisted career fields and I was amazed at the level of training they received and their desire for additional training to stay current in their career field.

"Additionally, in command positions you work more with senior NCOs," he continued. "They are invaluable to commanders, because they ensure day-to-day operations are done correctly, while managing, in some squadrons, hundreds of enlisted troops.

"The Air Force places a tremendous amount of responsibility on its enlisted corps," General Carlson said. "They are incredibly talented and smarter than my generation. Their commitment is inspiring. I've known several NCOs who earned master's degrees yet discarded the possibility of officer training school or leaving the service for a more lucrative job because they love what they do in the Air Force.

As for the tribute paid to him by AFMC's enlisted corps, General Carlson said, "I'm still amazed they would pick a country boy from Minnesota to receive the Order of the Sword. It is a tremendous honor."

The ceremonial presentation was adopted from the Royal Order of the Sword and passed to the United States during the Revolutionary War. However, it lay dormant until it was reinstituted in its current form in 1967.

General Carlson's induction pushes the number of Air Force individuals who have received the honor to 226.

(Chief Master Sgt. Brian Duke, AFMC/PA, contributed to this story)