AFMC Command News

Former ESC commander receives Order of the Sword

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. C. Michaela Judge
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The noncommissioned officers of Air Force Materiel Command inducted retired Lt. Gen. Charles L. Johnson II, former Electronic Systems Center commander, into the AFMC Order of the Sword during a June 20 ceremony here. 

During the ceremony, General Johnson praised the enlisted corps for the professionalism and guidance he has witnessed not only through his Air Force career, but even through the positive role model his father set before him as an NCO.

"I'm incredibly honored to receive this award tonight and be here with you," he said. "And to my mom, I know my dad is here with us. I wish he was physically here to witness this; it would mean the world to him. So I know that he is up there looking down, proud, not so much of me as a son, but of you all as NCOs. He was an incredible dad and incredible NCO. I feel so wonderful tonight to have received this honor from you all - the very heart and core of this American Air Force that we have."

The Order of the Sword is the highest honor that Air Force noncommissioned officers can bestow upon an individual, according to Chief Master Sergeant Karen McCoy, 66th Air Base Wing and ESC command chief.

"General Johnson's leadership and dedication to this enlisted corps has left a lasting impression on the men and women serving here," the chief said.

The Order of the Sword is an honor that was founded during the middle ages, where noncommissioned officers would honor their leader and pledge their loyalty by presenting him with a sword that would stand as a symbol for truth, justice and power rightfully used, and serve as a token for all to see and know that he was a leader among leaders.

The Order of the Sword ceremony was later revised, updated and adopted by Air Force NCOs in 1967.

General Johnson imparted his words of wisdom through life lessons and stories that would resonate with even the youngest Airman in the room. He focused on three virtues that continue to guide our Air Force: mentorship, character and commitment.

Mentorship, the general said, is an incredible thing that we have in this great Air Force. 

"To all NCOs ... I can't thank you enough for the mentorship that you have provided me as a lieutenant, actually even as a cadet, all the way up to the ranks of general officer," he said.

Looking out into the eyes of AFMC's enlisted force, the general asked the question, "Who are we -- this great Air Force of ours?"

Without skipping a beat, General Johnson continued, "We are Airmen of character; it is our heart and soul. It is what makes us who we are, not only in peace, but especially in time of war - where character can make such a difference. It is a summation of who you are individually, and who we are as an Air Force. Your words and your actions, tell everyone what they need to know about who you really are. If you give someone your word, you have to realize what that actually means. Your word, your integrity, is the most prized possession that you have as an individual."

Along with being Airmen of character, the general also encouraged those in attendance to be men and women who commit.

"As I look at this incredible corps of NCOs and Airmen tonight, that is exactly who you are - Airmen of character, also Airmen of commitment," the general said. "Especially during this time of war, that is what we need. Whether it is a commander or first sergeant -- when they ask you to do something, you do it with energy and you do it with commitment."

In closing, the general looked around the room, and with teary eyes said, "To all of you NCOs and Airman, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, with my wife, for this incredible honor that you have bestowed upon me. You just can't imagine what this means to me; I will remember this night for the rest of my life. It's not so much the physical award itself, as it is the opportunity to serve. As the young Airman who sang the song [tonight], indeed it is an 'Honor to Serve.'"