Air Force District of Washington –
Command Chief Master Sgt. Paul W. Wheeler's time with the Air Force has been dedicated to advocating for Airmen, protecting installations and advising senior officers. His dedication to accomplishing missions efficiently and mentoring Airmen in his command is evidenced by a swift rise through the ranks.
Chief Wheeler will be retiring from the Air Force in August as the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing and AFDW command chief master sergeant.
In April, 1997 he pinned on the rank of chief master sergeant. Following the promotion, he has served as the senior enlisted advisor for two commands and managed security for seven bases. Following Sept. 11, 2001, Chief Wheeler had what he describes as "bar-none the best deployment that someone in security forces can get: Joint Base Balad, Iraq." He served at Balad for one year, witnessing the most air traffic on any United States military base, as well as working closely with counterparts in the Army.
Now that he's retiring, the chief has one message for all Airmen. "Take those deployments abroad. It's really a choice you will never regret and allows you to get a higher sense of purpose when you are back stateside."
Since enlisting in the Air Force in 1980, he has been deployed to the far corners of the globe. In Operation Urgent Fury, a military incursion into Grenada, Chief Wheeler wasn't given any warning before being flown in to support the conflict. His unit was practicing every day for swift deployment by packing up and getting on a plane. "One day we all dragged our gear out to the line and got on board, except this time the doors shut and the plane started to taxi down the runway." He was later briefed that he would be going to Antigua in the West Indies as a squad leader with the 6550th Security Police Squadron. He's also been assigned to Turkey, Northern Iraq, Greece and Saudi Arabia.
While stationed at Balad, Chief Wheeler was the chief enlisted advisor to the commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which consists of fighters, bombers, airlift elements and helicopter squadrons. The hospital at Balad is the first step for wounded warriors as they are evacuated out of Iraq. Chief Wheeler worked closely with Chief Master Sergeant David R. Nordel. Then a master sergeant, Chief Nordel was the senior medic on base and one of the first faces wounded servicemen saw when they arrived at Balad's extensive medical facilities. "All my memories of [Chief Wheeler] are of him standing at my left shoulder as we worked to save Airmen," said Chief Nordel. "If you came into Balad with a heartbeat while Chief Wheeler was stationed there, you had a 99 percent chance of making it home alive."
While at Balad, Chief Wheeler oversaw the care and transportation of enlisted members. Chief Nordel remembered "how dedicated he was to those servicemembers. Relationships with chiefs are typically close, but he drew them in."
Retirement for Chief Wheeler won't really be retirement. He will move to Huntsville, Alabama, outside of Redstone Arsenal, a major research site for the armed services. For the past three years, Chief Wheeler has been pursuing his masters degree in security management through the American Military University.
With that, the newly minted civilian will be looking for a job, "where I can really be involved with people. That's been the best part of my time in the Air Force, so I really want to be out and about." While he hasn't decided on the private or public sector, he is dead set on becoming more involved in the Harley Owners Group, a group of Harley motorcycle enthusiasts, owned by harley Davidson, which organizes charitable events and cross-country rides. "We will have more time to get involved in charity work, and HOG is a big part of that."
Most Airmen have noticed how often the chief is "out and about" on base. The son of deaf parents, the Chief is unapologetically boisterous. "I am a product of my environment. Loving parents, great sisters and some pretty consistent discipline have made me who I am - for better or worse."
Chief Wheeler grew up in Orange Grove country in the middle of Florida near White Haven. As a result of being a child of deaf parents, the chief's first language is American Sign Language. While on duty, the Chief has pulled over the occasional deaf speeder. "They just about fall out of their car when I start signing," said Chief Wheeler, "I'm glad to be able to bring that to my job."
Arriving at AFDW in the heat of 2009 inauguration plans, Chief Wheeler was immediately consulted for his security expertise. He was even tapped to distribute tickets for the Commander-In-Chief's Ball, a position which gave him considerable leverage. "I had offers you wouldn't believe for those tickets, but the best part was seeing a peaceful transfer of power," said Chief Wheeler.
Chief Wheeler will be succeeded by Chief Master Sgt. Pat Battenberg, formerly command chief of the 79th Medical Wing. Chief Battenberg will officially take the post Sept. 1.