ARPC welcomes new command chief

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Rob Hazelett
  • Air Reserve Personnel Center Public Affairs
Chief Master Sergeant Brian Wong replaced Chief Master Sgt. David Paullet as the new command chief master sergeant for the Air Reserve Personnel Center here Aug. 1, 2012.

He arrives at ARPC from the 624th Regional Support Group at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where he served as command chief.

As the command chief, Wong advises the ARPC commander on all enlisted matters at the highest level of enlisted leadership.

The Hawaii native who entered the Air Force Reserve in September 1982, explained what it means to him to be selected as ARPC's next command chief and described what his goals for the center are.

"Personally, this is a wonderful opportunity. ARPC has a proud history and I feel blessed to have been selected as the command chief," Wong said. "ARPC is a dynamic enterprise. I look forward to being an effective representative and advocate of all our Airmen, promote individual career growth and engage as a fully vested partner to springboard the center to the next level of excellence."

Wong made reference to an analogy involving a common breakfast meal, ham and eggs.

"Let's start by asking, 'Are you a hen or are you a pig?' With ham and eggs, the hen is involved, while the pig is committed," he added. "I will do my very best to be a 'PIG' at ARPC."

He doesn't hesitate in pointing out what his leadership philosophy is based upon and he's a strong advocate of an open-door policy.

"I embrace the Air Force core values of integrity, service, excellence and couple this by supporting the organization's vision and mission," he said. "Additionally, I strongly support team involvement, open communication, delegation and empowerment and will enlist the expertise of others. Chain of command notwithstanding, I encourage anyone to stop by my office or catch me in the hallway to share ideas, ventilate challenges or just to chat."

His background includes various duties in air freight, ramp services and special handling sections, special handling cargo processor, load planner, cargo services supervisor, standard evaluation quality control and chief enlisted manager.

In addition to his Air Force career, Wong has more than twenty years of corporate management experience. He also earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from the University of Phoenix in 1998 and 2009, respectively.

He also received an associate's degree in applied science in transportation and a professional manager certification from the Community College of the Air Force.
His major awards and decorations include: Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters and Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters.

He and his wife Helen have been married for twenty years. They have two children: Brandon, 18, who will be a freshman at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, Fla., and Brittney, 16, who will be a junior this year at Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu.

In his spare time, Wong enjoys playing recreational golf. Although he admits he misses snorkeling and watching the surf, he looks forward to doing some biking and skiing.