Mississippi Air National Guard Appoints First Female to State Command Chief

COMBAT READINESS TRAINING CENTER - BATTLEFIELD AIRMEN CENTER, MS, UNITED STATES

12.14.2017

Story by Cpl. Justin Humphreys 

102d Public Affairs Detachment

COMBAT READINESS TRAINING CENTER – BATTLEFIELD AIRMEN CENTER -- Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Lynn Cole, a native of Philadelphia, Mississippi, has been appointed as the Mississippi Air National Guard State Command Chief, Dec. 2, 2017.
Chief Master Sgt. Cole is the first female to assume the State Command Chief position, which is the highest enlisted position in the MSANG.
“I work with the Air Commander to ensure the enlisted force maintains the required flexibility, balance, and strength to meet our mission.” said Cole.
Cole’s primary responsibility in her new position is to ensure the success of the Airmen in the MSANG.
“I inform the Air Commander of potential issues, and if assigned, find ways to mitigate those issues, said Cole. “We want our Airmen to be successful, so I’m there to make sure that that is happening, I keep the Commander informed about his enlisted force of the Mississippi Air National Guard.”
As the newly-appointed State Command Chief, Cole wants to build better relations between the Mississippi Army and Air National Guard.
“Although I have had the opportunity to work closely with the Army, there is more to learn,” said Cole. “The better the Army and the Air Force work together, the greater the chance for success, regardless of the mission.”
Prior to this position, Cole was Chief Enlisted Manager at the Combat Readiness Training Center – Battlefield Airmen Center in Gulfport, Mississippi. While she was the Chief Enlisted Manager at CRTC – BAC, Cole established an advisory committee that is headed by her and two other senior enlisted Airmen.
“The focus of that committee is to work issues, including morale, health, and career, “said Cole. “Last August’s annual training was completely planned, coordinated, and executed by the committee. The purpose was to let Airmen experience what it takes to successfully plan an entire AT. The upshot to the committee planning the AT was the CRTC-BAC had the most successful AT in years.”
She also served as the first sergeant of 186th Air Refueling Wing’s Security Forces Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard, and was later the state Human Resource Advisor of Joint Force Headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi.
“Previously I came here from JFH, I was there as a state human resource advisor,” Cole said. “Prior to that I was the wing human resource advisor at the 186th. I had been the first sergeant in security forces at the 186th, because that’s where I got in at 17.”
Cole wants to make Mississippi’s Air Guard better than it was when she enlisted.
“Col. Drake and I felt like if the younger generation had problems, concerns, or wanted to learn certain things, instead of the top pushing things down, we wanted the[m] to see what’s there, see how to work it, and see how to progress from that.”
Starting out in security, Cole enlisted in the Mississippi Air National Guard in February 1985.
“They have me on record as being the first female in the state to join security,” said Cole. “At that time, which was in 1985, they had just opened that career field up to females.”
As a leader, Cole wants her Airmen to constantly grow and learn throughout their careers.
“One of my goals has always been to advocate for professional military education.” said Cole. “Airmen need education so I was very adamant about people enrolling in whatever the next step was to get them to the next level in their career.”
Chief Master Sgt. Cole has been working hard and moving up the ranks for years to get where she is now, and she hopes to be an inspiration to other young females in the Air Force or Air National Guard.
“My focus is and will be on service. My motto will be to ‘pause and listen’,” said Cole.
Outside of her MSANG job, Cole works for the state’s military department.
“I work for the state during the week…for the Mississippi Military Department,” said Cole.
During her free time, Cole is interested in reading and sports.
“My biggest hobbies have always been sports, I love to read; I usually go through about two or three books a month,” said Cole. “I’m an avid college football fan, I love Ole Miss.”
Cole also has three children, a granddaughter and a “soon to be” granddaughter, and her husband is the wing command chief of the 172d Airlift Wing in Jackson.

• Date Taken: 12.14.2017
• Date Posted: 12.19.2017 10:55
• Story ID: 258912
• Location: COMBAT READINESS TRAINING CENTER - BATTLEFIELD AIRMEN CENTER, MS, US
• Hometown: JACKSON, MS, US
• Hometown: MERIDIAN, MS, US
• Hometown: PHILADELPHIA, MS, US