AFMETCAL Newsletter - Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Page 3AFMETCAL NEWSLETTERApril 2011Volume 31, Issue No. 3Chief’s CornerFellow maintainers,On 18 February, we held aretirement ceremony for CMSgtMatt Brown to honor his 30 yearsof dedicated service. Although heis now retired, his impact on theAir Force, and the Air ForceMetrology Program specifically,will not be forgotten.CMSgt Brown began his AirForce career in October 1978.After Basic Military Training, hecompleted PMEL technicaltraining at Lowry AFB, Colorado.In October 1979, he was assignedto Kadena AB, Okinawa as anapprentice in the F-15 Type IVPMEL. CMSgt Brown leftKadena AB in April 1981 and wasreassigned to 443d AircraftMaintenance Squadron, AltusAFB, Oklahoma. He waspromoted to the rank of SSgt inApril 1982 and performed dutiesas a Laboratory Supervisor.However, Chief Brown elected toseparate from the Air Force inOctober 1982.He spent nearly 3 years in thecivilian workforce as a contractorin Saudi Arabia and a civil servantin Duluth Minnesota. ChiefBrown returned to active duty inMay 1985 and spent four years asa recruiter in Willmar, Minnesota.From there, he came back into thePMEL career field and assumedduties as a Type IIB PMELSection Supervisor and QualityProgram Manager for the 28thField Maintenance Squadron atEllsworth AFB, South Dakota. InMarch 1991, he was promoted toTSgt and was reassigned to the20th Component Repair Squadronat RAF Upper Heyford, UnitedKingdom.During his tour at RAF UpperHeyford, Chief Brown had twounique opportunities. In additionto shutting down the PMELbecause of base closure, he wasalso challenged with attempting totrain a rebellious SrA Niemann.After his tour in the UnitedKingdom, Chief Brown wasassigned to the 56th ComponentRepair Squadron, Luke AFB, AZas a Type IIB PMEL SectionSupervisor and Quality ProgramManager. CMSgt Brown waspromoted MSgt in February 1996and received orders back toOkinawa in August 1996, wherehe served as the F-15 Type IVPMEL Chief and TMDE FlightSuperintendent.He left Okinawa in August 2000and reported to McGuire AFB,New Jersey, where he waspromoted to SMSgt. CMSgtBrown spent nearly 5 years atMcGuire as the TMDE FlightChief. In July 2005 he reported toChief Master SergeantCraig “Woody” NiemannChief, Laboratory CertificationBranchOsan AB, Republic of Korea,where he was promoted to ChiefMaster Sergeant. And, in August2006, he assumed duties as theChief of the Laboratory CertificationBranch, where he was onceagain cursed with trying to keep aSMSgt Niemann in line.During his time at AFMETCAL,CMSgt Brown deployed for over450 days to 51 different locations.In addition to completing almost320 over-the shoulder evaluations,he also spearheaded the re-write ofthe input wiring directives,(Continued on page 4)