Photo By Jaclyn Lyons | New York Air National Guard Command Chief Master Sgt. Denny Richardson, left, speaks...... read more read more
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LATHAM, New York--Command Chief Master Sgt. Denny Richardson, the top enlisted leader in the 5,880-member New York Air National Guard, has been picked to serve as the senior enlisted leader for the First Air Force and the Continental U.S. NORAD Region.
Since 2020, Richardson has been the enlisted advisor for the commander of the New York Air National Guard; first for Maj. Gen. Timothy LaBarge, and now for Maj. Gen. Denise Donnell.
In his new role, Richardson will serve as the enlisted advisor to Lt. Gen. Steven Nordhaus, an Air Guard officer who takes command of First Air Force in March.
He will replace Command Chief Master Sgt. Mikael Sundin, who has been in the job since 2020.
First Air Force, based at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida, is responsible for aerospace control and air defense of the lower 48 states.
The force of 15,000 Airmen in the active Air Force, Air Guard, Air Force Reserve—including some Canadian Forces personnel—is responsible for carrying out the responsibilities of the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Region. It is also the Air Force component of the U.S. Military’s Northern Command.
NORAD is the joint U.S. and Canadian command responsible for coordinating air defense of North America.
Taking on his new role will be “a big change,” Richardson said.
“First Air Force is the New York Air National Guard times five,” Richardson said. “The scope of responsibility, and all the different centers, and wings, and sectors that fall under the umbrella of First Air Force is amazing and encompasses the North American continent.”
But being the Command Chief for the nation’s largest Air National Guard – New York has five flying wings, the Eastern Air Defense Sector, and four geographically separated units—is good preparation for the First Air Force job, Richardson said.
Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York praised Richardson for his service.
“Command Chief Master Sgt. Denny Richardson is a proactive leader who has made a tremendous impact during his career in the New York Air National Guard. I am confident he will do a great job as the senior enlisted advisor for First Air Force," Shields said.
Richardson joined the Maryland Air National Guard in 1989 and served as an Aircrew Life Support specialist.
“My goal was to get money for college, do my first term enlistment and then leave,” he said.
But then, “I found my why and I found my purpose was serving,” Richardson added.
In 1997 he got the opportunity to transfer to the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing and become a full-time Guardsman.
The 109th flies the LC-130 ski-equipped Hercules and supplies Antarctic research stations. That took Richardson to the bottom of the world 15 times, as well as to the Greenland ice cap.
“The time spent in Antarctica sticks out. It is definitely unique,” he said.
Back home, Richardson ran the 109th Airlift Wing honor guard program. His team conducted about 400 military funerals across northeastern New York each year.
“When I hear taps, it still gets me every time, because it means something,” Richardson said.
He also deployed to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan along the way.
In 2020 he was selected to move to the state headquarters role and begin spending time on the road going from unit to unit.
Along with the LC-130s, the New York Air Guard flies the C-17 Globemaster III, search and rescue helicopters and aircraft, the MQ-9 Reaper, and has an air operations group, a squadron that works with the Space Force, air defense units, and air operations squadron, and a communications engineering unit.
The travel and diversity have prepared him for his next mission, Richardson said.
One tool Richardson used to reach out across the force, was a podcast he created called “Journeys Through Leadership.”
In his podcast Richardson talked with Airmen in every unit ranging in rank from senior airman all the way up to the New York Air Guard commander about their life, jobs and how they have succeeded in the Air Guard.
He wants to bring that podcast with him in his new job, Richardson said.
His role in First Air Force will be to advocate for the Airmen and their missions, he said. He wants to help build a sense of community among the different elements and units for First Air Force, Richardson said.
“People know about NORAD. You hear about NORAD all the time. But you never hear about First Air Force,” Richardson said.
And as a Black Airman, he also knows he is a role model for other Black servicemembers, Richardson said.
“I do realize, and I know, that when I walk around, I represent not just the proud tradition of Airmen, but I represent the proud tradition of Black Americans who have served,” he said.
Because of the travel schedule in his new job, Richardson’s family will stay in the family home in Schuylerville, a small town north of Albany, during his three-year tour of duty.
He’s looking forward to his new duties, but he will miss the New York Air Guard, Richardson said.
“It has been an amazing journey, to say the least, and the experiences that I have had, and the opportunities to learn, have been absolutely amazing,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 02.14.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.16.2023 16:19 |
| Story ID: | 438464 |
| Location: | LATHAM, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 374 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NY Air Guard Command Chief takes on First Air Force role, by Eric Durr, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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