Chief returns to where career began

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Marcy Copeland
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, AZ --  As Chief Master Sgt. Ben Carson, 308th Aircraft Maintenance Unit superintendent, attends the graduation for the last class of 308th Fighter Squadron F-16 pilots, he will also say goodbye to the squadron where he began his career.

In June of 2015, the 308th will inactivate making way for the activation of the 62nd Fighter Squadron. In 1993, the 311th Fighter Squadron was deactivated with the 308th AMU activation ceremony taking place the same day.

For Carson, he was a young Airman straight out of technical training, standing in formation the day the 308th AMU stood up. It was at Luke Air Force Base in the 308th AMU that Carson gained his first promotion from Airman Basic to Airman. By the end of the 308th's tenure, Carson donned the stripe of chief master sergeant.

"It's pretty amazing that this is the base I put on my first stripe," Carson said. "And now I put my last stripe on here. I remember how hungry I was to do the best I could when I put on my first stripe, but I am still just as hungry as a chief.

"My job has completely changed. I am not crewing or fixing jets anymore. Now I have a whole lot of people to look out for and develop. I love doing this."

At the age of 17, Carson left his home in Chicago and enlisted in the Air Force. It was initially just for the college tuition, but then it turned into something more, something he fell in love with.

Not only was Carson here for the activation of the 308th AMU, but he also held his first re-enlistment in the 308th.

"I joined when I was 17 because I wanted out of there," Carson said. "It was not the greatest neighborhood, and I just wanted to leave and go out on my own and see what life was like and what the Air Force had."

Carson has been stationed all over the world and has seen the effects of the 308th's stretch across the globe. When he received orders to return to Luke Air Force Base, he couldn't have been happier to go back to where he began.

"When my family and I first had the permanent change of station to Luke from Misawa, I was assigned as a maintenance flight chief," Carson said. "Then I made the rank of chief and I was told I was being moved out to the aircraft maintenance squadron, and I asked to be put with the 308th AMU. I really wanted the 308th because this is where I started."

As the 308th inactivates, most of the Airmen will be split between the 309th and 310th AMUs with a majority of the aircraft moving to Holloman AFB, New Mexico.

Carson will once again stand in formation during the deactivation of the 308th AMU with the hope that one day it will reactivate here or somewhere else and add to its already great legacy.

"The 308th AMU has a great combat history," Carson said. "It would be great if they did open it up again. It wouldn't bother me to see the 308th going out and taking the fight to the enemy once again."