Wing welcomes new command chief

  • Published
  • By Capt. Caroline Wellman
  • 445th Public Affairs
Chief Master Sgt. Peri Rogowski became a part of history April 15 when she became the first female command chief for the 445th Airlift Wing, replacing Chief Master Sgt. Aaron Mouser. Her most recent assignment was the command chief at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind. 

Having spent time as a state public sector employee, a civilian Air Force employee, an Air Reserve Technician, a traditional reservist and a military spouse, Chief Rogowski brings a breadth of personal experience to the command chief position. 

During her 27 years in the Air Force, she has also developed a diverse professional background, which includes multiple deployments and assignments in information management, A-10 Thunderbolt II and KC-135 Stratotanker maintenance training, and base education and training. The chief spent more than seven years as a first sergeant before becoming the 434th Air Refueling Wing's command chief. 

During her first unit training assembly, Chief Rogowski outlined some of the goals she'd like the wing to accomplish. 

"I want to make sure everyone wants to come to their UTA. That they feel like they are valuable to the mission when they are here, that they know where they fit into the mission, and that they want to come back," she said. 

Chief Rogowski hopes to create greater integration between wing units and more wing-level opportunities for networking, which she hopes will help all wing Airmen better understand that what they do is vitally important. 

Hand in hand with that understanding is the command chief's emphasis on readiness, enlisted force development and mentoring. 

"We need to be ready to support active duty and Guard components of the Total Force," Chief Rogowski said. "To be ready to do that professionally, we must also be ready to do that personally, and that includes maintaining balance with one's family and one's employer." 

An important part of ensuring readiness is informal mentoring, which helps prepare Airmen of all ranks for increasing levels of responsibility, she said, encouraging wing members "not to be afraid to be positive and motivating" and to also take responsibility for their own careers. 

"Each and everyone one of us is responsible for our own careers, so we must ensure we do everything we can to prepare ourselves for the next level of responsibility," the chief said. 

"I'm excited about the opportunity to serve here, and I look forward to helping the 445th Airlift Wing meet the needs of the Air Force while taking care of our Airmen and their families," she concluded.