Command Chief retires, shares final thoughts

  • Published
  • By Sara Vidoni
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The following is a transcript of a Team Eglin Public Affairs interview session with Chief Master Sgt. Marcus Snoddy Nov. 10. The chief served as the Command Chief for the 96th Test Wing from Nov. 2012 until his retirement Nov. 21.

Q: What are your plans after retirement?

A: My wife, Mayumi, and I are going to relocate to San Antonio, Texas, where I'm going to graduate school to pursue a Master's of Arts in Management and Leadership. When I finish school, I'd like to find a career in program management, project management or human resources, so this degree offers me that flexibility.


Q: What advice would you give/provide new Airmen?

A: Be proud to be in the Air Force and be proud of what it means to be an Airman. That means you need to uphold the core values, maintain your professionalism and persevere through the challenges. If you do, all the opportunities you could wish for will be laid out right before you. I had a mentor who taught me my most important lesson - to hold myself accountable. There's nothing wrong with holding others accountable, but you have to hold yourself accountable first. It's not about being perfect, it's about being honest. You do those things and you can stay in the Air Force for as long as you want.


Q: What's your most vivid moment/memory while serving in the Air Force?

A: My most vivid moment was flying into Afghanistan, going into combat. Going through all of the training, I had an idea of what to expect, but it wasn't until I was on that C-130 flying into Bagram that it really hit me just how significant it was. When we touched down and the back ramp opened up, I saw nothing but motion on the flightline. People were moving, machines were moving and airplanes were taxing.  I knew at that moment that everything was going to be different. And for the next 12 months, it was exactly that.

My second most vivid moment was when I got on the aircraft to depart 12 months later, and I looked back on everything I had been through. When that C-17 took off, it was the first time in 12 months that I got really good sleep.  I was able to sleep because I'd answered the one question that sits in the back of every Airman's mind namely, 'can I handle combat?' I was able to answer that question emphatically. Being there and having done the things I did, I can say with a clear sense of certainty that I was able to perform my duties under combat conditions.


Q: When did you decide you were going to try to reach the chief rank?  What was your motivation?

A: I never decided that I wanted to be a chief. It was really simple for me; I just wanted to be a good Airman. Every step of the way, I wanted to be the best I could be at my current rank. When I got the notice that I made chief, the weight of the responsibility hit me. It took me almost three months to be comfortable with the idea that I was going to be a chief, but then my goal was to be the best chief I could be. I focused on upholding the principles - that you are known by your deeds and you do the things that are in the best interest of your people, not for personal gain, but because it's the right thing.


Q: Please describe a powerful moment of mentorship you received during your career?

A: Col. (Ret.) Tim Bridges gave me my first honest feedback. In the past, if you asked me to do something, I always said yes and I always took it on. Back then I didn't know how to say when I was overwhelmed so, as a result, I often found myself responsible for too many tasks.  However, then-Maj. Bridges saw how I was stretching myself thin so he sat me down and explained his concern. He noticed how much I had taken and pointed out to me that inevitably I was going to drop something. He didn't want to see me fail. By his actions, he taught me how to step away from some things and how to say no when it's the right thing to do. I never forgot that and now I demand honest feedback every time. Of course I want to know what I'm doing well, but I also want to know how I can improve. As long as you keep that mindset you will never become complacent nor will you become self-indulgent.


Q: What is the one thing that's changed in the AF for the better since 1985?

A: For me, it's the maturation of the Air Force. From our increased understanding of the role we play in national security to our understanding of the enlisted force and the enhancing capabilities it brings, our Air Force's perspective has significantly matured since 1947. This growth has brought with it greater opportunity for our Airmen who wear stripes. Because the Air Force has a matured perspective, it drives our enlisted Airmen onward toward increasingly greater levels of knowledge, understanding and operational capability. 


Q: Why did you make the AF a career?

A: This is my home. This is my way of life. I love everything about being in the military. When I joined in 1985, it was something I always wanted.  Growing up in Birmingham, every night at the end of the television broadcast, they would play the Star Spangled Banner and then read the poem, High Flight, by John Gillespie Magee. I came to love this poem and found the opening line, which says "Oh I have slipped the surely bonds of earth," and the ending line, "Put out my hand, and touched the face of God," exceptionally moving to me. Those words stuck with me and, when it came down to it, I raised my hand for the Air Force.


Q: What does the Air Force do great? What could they do better?

A: What the Air Force does great is we create personnel who can think beyond the common task. We have more capability in our Airmen, and we have people who can think beyond just A and B because we are a technologically driven force. However, because of that desire to foster a flexible and innovative mindset, it tends to impact the individual's connection to the larger service and what it means to be in the military. Therefore, on the reverse side, the thing I think the Air Force needs to improve on is instilling within our Airmen a sense of military identity. We have to become more comfortable and unapologetic about being members of the military and being Airmen.


Q: Any last thoughts for the Team Eglin community?

A: This has been an absolute blast. This has been the most enjoyable, rewarding and energizing assignment I have had. Coming here, I felt like this was where I was supposed to be and I belonged, not just to the on base community but also off base. My wife and I have loved this as our final Air Force assignment.