Son re-enlists MXG chief, father

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Ryan DeCamp
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  When the time came for Chief Master Sgt. Steven Ferrell, 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit superintendent, to re-enlist for what will be the final time in his career, the decision on which officer would do the honors was easy. He chose his son.

Chief Ferrell's son, 1st Lt. Steve Ferrell, 28th Test and evaluations Squadron operations analyst at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., swore his father in for his sixth re-enlistment April 9 at Luke. The ceremony occurred in the 61st AMU with roughly 150 Airmen from the unit on hand.

"Having my son re-enlist me is special, because I was there for the start of his career," Chief Ferrell said of the fact that he gave his son his first salute at his commissioning. "With the final reenlistment I thought it was pretty cool that he was able to sign the paper that is on the way to the end of my career."

The chief's three-year enlistment will take his Air Force service to an even 30. His near three decade career has taken him to Dover AFB, Del., Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Scott AFB, Ill., and Luke as well as all over Europe. Chief Ferrell will head to Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, next month for a one-year assignment before what he hopes will be a last stop at Luke before retirement.

"I'm enjoying the heck out of being in the same Air Force family as my son, because we share stories and talk about it all the time," Chief Ferrell said. Lieutenant Ferrell said those talks have helped him as an officer.

"I've had a lot of things happen in my career so every time something significant occurs I call him," Lieutenant Ferrell said."Every time I've had some kind of significant decision to make or something has happened at work, or somebody does something I don't necessarily understand I always call him. I ask, 'Hey, what should I do here, what would you have done;' there are all kinds of situations (for which) I call my dad."

Chief Ferrell said that's meant the world to him.

Lieutenant Ferrell added that some of the best advice he's received from the chief involves decision making.

"Whenever I'm struggling with a decision, the advice is always the same," he said. "Do what's right and balance between what will make you happy and what is best for the Air Force. Don't get too stressed out. Do what's right for yourself, your family and the Air Force. I always try and make decisions based on that."

When Lieutenant Ferrell commissioned, Chief Ferrell said he never could have envisioned his son re-enlisting him for the final time. Though his son has taken many of the same steps as other officers the elder Ferrell has mentored, Chief Ferrell said there are things he is learning from his son that he has not necessarily experienced with other officers he has served with.

"Because my son and I talk a lot, we could say I've actually learned the feelings part of the job," Chief Ferrell said. "I love training officers and they've all been basically the same in training, except that I'm more into the feelings side with my son."