Wolf Pack welcomes Kunsan's new 'Wolf Chief'

Published May 1, 2011
By Master Sgt. Sonny Cohrs
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The new "Wolf Chief" here is a long way from his childhood home in Davenport, Iowa.

The new command chief master sergeant for the 8th Fighter Wing's Wolf Pack, Chief Master Sgt. Scott Delveau, joined the Air Force during the Cold War, looking for structure in his life and following his friends' footsteps.

Before enlisting in the Air Force some 27 years ago, his limited exposure to the military included occasional Army helicopters flying overhead and stories from his father who served four years during the Korean War.

Called the Wolf Chief, a moniker passed on to each command chief here, Chief Delveau is responsible for advising the commander on all matters affecting the health, morale and welfare of assigned enlisted personnel and coordinating with the commanders and senior enlisted personnel on administration and implementation of wing policies.

The chief's previous assignment was with the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron, Wheeler Army Air Field, Hawaii, where he was the superintendent. After making the command chief list last August, he had three phone interviews from different wing commanders; the most appealing occurring in late January of this year. This interview consisted of a 45-minute phone conversation with incoming 8th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Scott Pleus.

"This was a great opportunity for me," Chief Delveau said. "For me to get selected is hard to express into words-- everything I've heard about this base is awesome. I didn't think it would happen that quickly. He [Colonel Pleus] called back three to four hours later and said 'I've selected you.'"

Colonel Pleus' search began with a list of more than 100 command chief candidates. Using trusted counsel of current and retired command chiefs, the colonel narrowed the list and Chief Delveau's name "quickly rose to the top." He was one of only four candidates eventually interviewed for the position.

"Not once during our interview did he talk about his personal accolades. Rather, he spoke about his fellow Airmen or his unit's performance," Colonel Pleus said. "While subtle, his choice of words demonstrated he was humble, approachable and credible ... three vital traits I look for in a leader. Finally, in story after story, his ability to balance mission requirements while taking care of our Airmen was exactly what I wanted in a command chief. I called him back and asked him to join me in the Wolf Pack."

Kunsan and its approximately 3,000 service members can expect Chief Delveau to roll up his sleeves and join in while he's out and about with the troops. He believes in the "hands-on" approach to life and leadership.

"What surprises most people? I don't mind getting my hands dirty," he said. "Misery loves company, and people are more willing to do stuff as a team. I will not make anyone do things that I am not willing to do myself."

Teamwork has been a foundation for the chief since the beginning of his career. He has been attached to both Army and Air Force Tactical Air Control Party units over the years. His resume includes a laundry list of acronyms from ETAC to JTAC, short for both enlisted and joint terminal attack controller. In short, his specialties as a TACP mean he was the guy on the ground who put "bombs on target" by calling in air strikes.

He spent three years as an instructor at the TACP School in Hurlburt Field, Fla. He later made the transition to professional military education following complications from a previous broken ankle and leg - the result of a hard landing following a parachute jump.

While assigned to the Hurlburt Field Airman Leadership School, retired Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Binnicker gave sound career advice to then Technical Sergeant Delveau as he made the transition from TACP to ALS instructor and eventually commandant. Chief Binnicker said, "Do something, do it well, and move on to the next thing. The Air Force needs to know you can accomplish whatever task is placed before you."

Because TACP is a career field where the "really fun stuff" is done by staff and technical sergeant JTACs, and he wanted to challenge himself more, Chief Delveau moved on to the "next thing" -- first sergeant duty.

However, he never strayed far from his roots. He has been a first shirt for a special tactics squadron, the Navy explosive ordnance school and an Air Force air control squadron. He has also served as a first sergeant at an aircraft maintenance squadron, a mission support squadron and finally Headquarters Pacific Air Forces.

"Once you get promoted [in my previous career field] it becomes more managerial," he said. "I liked the fast pace. I can still do that kind of physically demanding stuff - it just takes me a little longer to recover."

At Kunsan, Chief Delveau will also focus on some personal goals, which include catching up on his personal reading lists. Currently on the night stand is "Flyboys," a non-fiction account of aircrew serving in World War II. His favorite movies include "Midway" and "Black Hawk Down."

"Anything military or military history," he said, noting his teenage daughter has also developed an interest in the genre.

He also wants to improve his fitness levels during his tenure, while inspiring others to do the same. He recalled previous assignments where he was joined by staff agencies for physical training and he had them doing low crawls through the sand and flutter kicks in the surf in Hawaii. While he saw the agony in their faces that morning, by the afternoon their pain turned to pride and a sense of accomplishment.

Also, don't be surprised to see the chief on patrol around the base with a ruck sack on his back - anyone is free to join him.

Chief Delveau is excited about the new challenges of being a command chief, which he said will ultimately help him improve himself professionally.

"It sounds kind of quirky, but I want to become a better chief," he said. "Coming here as a command chief will make me a better Airman overall. As a squadron and group superintendent I was more focused on operations. Here I can also piggy back on my first sergeant experience and spend my time taking care of the Airmen."

Chief Delveau's advice for Airmen in today's Air Force is simple: "Have a plan and know what you want. I was a tech sergeant before someone really started working with me on what I needed to do. There are things you can do early in your career that will help you. Look for a mentor who can help you. People who have a plan reach their goals a lot sooner. I didn't come in planning to be a lifer or a 30-year chief. "

For Chief Delveau, he'll meet the personal and professional challenges at Kunsan head on. And at the end of the day, whether a JTAC or command chief, he understands service members serving in Korea have an important job to do, and he's here to help.

"That's what I like about Kunsan the most - it's all about the mission here," he said.