Chiefs group inducts AUF director as honorary chief

Published April 1, 2009
By Carl Bergquist
Air University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- "Incredibly humbling" is the way Air University Foundation executive director Joe Panza described being named an honorary chief master sergeant.

On March 27, during a black-tie-dinner at Gunter's Falcon's Nest, Mr. Panza was inducted into the exclusive fraternity by the Maxwell-Gunter Chiefs Group. In the history of the group, only six other people have received the title of "honorary chief."

The original nomination for induction was submitted to the chiefs group by then Air University command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Karl Sagstetter, and the initiative was spearheaded by retired Chief Master Sgt. Tom Gwaltney, who is currently the Alabama Air Force Association president and a member of the chiefs group.

"Mr. Joe Panza's distinguished contributions to the enlisted men and women of Maxwell-Gunter have been nothing short of extraordinary," Chief Gwaltney said in the nomination. "He is definitely deserving of the title Honorary Chief Master Sergeant. He has performed like a chief and deserves to be recognized as such. Let's honor him like he has honored us."

Chief Master Sgt. Abie Chong, the dinner's master of ceremonies and secretary of the chiefs group, said considering all that Mr. Panza has done for the enlisted corps the group should have bestowed this honor upon him sooner.

"This is something we can give him that reflects our appreciation for what he does for the enlisted corps," he said. "It's more than just raising money. It's what he brings to NCOs. He gives of his time and energy and brings that to the chiefs group."

Chief Gwaltney said the list of projects and events Mr. Panza has been involved in for the betterment of enlisted men and women of the Air Force is "remarkable."

"From working with the Enlisted Heritage Hall, to pushing for enlisted presence at Air Command and Staff College's Gathering of Eagles program, to supporting the Community College of the Air Force's 35th Anniversary, Mr. Panza has been a staunch supporter of the enlisted corps," he said. "He was the moving force behind the AFA Chapter 102's Berlin to Baghdad Memorial Fund, a project to raise $125,000 for the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall. He personally met with the commander of Air University, and commanders of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and Squadron Officer College to seek their support for 'class legacy contributions' in support of the Berlin to Baghdad Memorial Fund."

Chief Gwaltney said Mr. Panza was instrumental in ACSC's decision to invite retired Chief Master Sgt. Wayne Fisk to the Gathering of Eagles as the first enlisted Eagle. He said Chief Fisk is a two-time Silver Star Medal recipient. He received the medals for his heroism during the 1970 Son Tay prisoner of war camp raid in Vietnam, and during the battle of Koh Tang Island following the Cambodian Khmer Rouge seizure of the S.S. Mayaguez and its crew in 1975. Mr. Panza also worked to secure invitation of the Air Force's first chief master sergeant of the Air Force, retired Chief Master Sgt. Paul Airey, as the second enlisted Eagle.

Chief Gwaltney said another cause Mr. Panza took on for the enlisted force is the Community College of the Air Force's 35th anniversary celebration. The highlight of the celebration was a banquet where a bronze bust honoring Staff Sgt. William Pitsenbarger, a Medal of Honor recipient, was to be unveiled.

"Joe Panza immediately volunteered, taking it upon himself to raise the funds necessary to support the entire banquet to include funding of the Pitsenbarger bust," he said. "As a direct result of his efforts, Joe single handedly raised more than $12,000. Joe did not stop at simply raising the funds to support the banquet. He sought out crew members and associates of Sergeant Pitsenbarger who had flown with him at Bien Hoa, Vietnam, and asked them to attend the event. Several were with Sergeant Pitsenbarger on the fateful mission that earned him the MOH."

Mr. Panza said the Enlisted Heritage Hall museum is his favorite place at Maxwell-Gunter, so there is a soft spot in his heart in terms of raising money for EHH. He said since the museum is the only institution in the Air Force dedicated to preserving enlisted heritage, he hopes his support helps that worthy cause.

Chief Gwaltney said Mr. Panza routinely briefs the Air and Space Basic Course student council on the importance of officers showing their support for the enlisted corps by contributing to the building of displays and exhibits at the Heritage Hall.

"As a result of his initiative, several classes have made class-legacy donations in support of the museum," he said.

Mr. Panza said he has always held the enlisted corps in high regard, and as an officer, he tried to assist enlisted members in any way he could.

"My roots are in the enlisted corps. I came into the military as an enlisted member of the Navy," he said. "During the Vietnam War, I was an Air Force pilot, but we were such a close-knit crew. More often than not, it was the enlisted members that saved out tails. To this day, I maintain a close relationship with many of the enlisted members, such as Wayne Fisk, that I worked with in Vietnam."

Mr. Panza said he was "overwhelmed" by what he sees as the "tremendous honor" of being named an honorary chief. He said recently he was named an honorary pararescueman by the Air Force Pararescue Association, and he feels these two honors are a great way to culminate his career.

"Well, you can't do any better than that, but there was one thing I took exception to," he said. "Tom [Gwaltney] invited me to lunch to talk about his wife's retirement, or so he said, and when we ran into a few of the members of the chiefs group, they invited us to join them. After lunch, they told me they wanted to induct me as an honorary chief. I mean I was shocked. I almost fell off my chair. That was a little sneaky, don't you think?"