Warrior family promotes new PA chief, total force effort

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Dean Miller
  • Air Force Space Command Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  A family of warriors gathered together June 19 here to promote Air Force Reserve Senior Master Sgt. Thomas W. Kimball to chief master sergeant. He is assigned to the Air Force Space Command Public Affairs as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee.

Not only was it a warrior family event, it was also a total force effort, combining active duty, Guard, and Reserve members in the ceremony.

The chief's son, Staff Sgt. Benjamin R. Kimball, a client systems journeyman in the Colorado Air National Guard, served as narrator while the chief's nephew, Maj. Mark E. Kimball, a U.S. Strategic Command plans officer and active-duty B-1 Lancer pilot, officiated the ceremony. The chief's daughter-in-law, Heidi Kimball, sang the national anthem.

During his opening remarks, Maj. Kimball cited the combination of subject matter expertise, strategic vision, and leadership required to earn the opportunity to wear the Air Force's most senior enlisted rank.

"It's quite an honor for me to be here today, to celebrate such a tremendous milestone in anyone's career - but especially when it's family," said the major.

Prior to presenting the new stripes, Maj. Kimball presented the chief with a meritorious service medal for his leadership at Headquarters, Air Reserve Personnel Center, Buckley AFB, Colorado; his assignment prior to arriving at AFSPC. The medal citation highlighted the chief's leadership of teams that produced Total Force and Reserve-centric videos that formed the core of ARPC's highly successful social media public engagement strategy.

With the room at attention, Maj. Kimball directed Staff Sgt. Kimball to publish the promotion order. Staff Sgt. Kimball read the order aloud followed by loud applause. Tracey Kimball, the chief's wife, and grandchildren Megan, Ethan, and Jack, then secured new stripes on Chief Kimball's uniform.

After thanking those who mentored him along the way and presenting gifts to his family, Chief Kimball reflected on one of his earliest leadership opportunities. Citing his own impatience to start his Air Force career, he enlisted with more than three years of college behind him. His education and age contributed to his promotion to "chief" on day two of basic training, specifically, dormitory chief, a special position of trust to ensure accountability and discipline among trainees. He nearly lost the job immediately.

"I marched that flight like a seasoned pro," said Chief Kimball. "Hey, I knew how to march from all those years with the boy scouts. But when I brought the flight to a stop back at the dorm, I shouted, with entirely too much exuberance, 'Company, halt!'"

Dormitory Chief Kimball was immediately mentored by his training instructor that the term, "Company" is not an Air Force drill command. He promised to do things the Air Force way from that day forward.

"That technical sergeant, who served honorably during the Vietnam War, taught me how to be a chief way back then. Those Airmen in my flight taught me about leadership that's lasted a lifetime. I guess you could say I discovered who I was that day," said Chief Kimball.

"So, here I am, nearly 35 years later and it feels like I'm closing a loop, like I've landed exactly where I need to be. There are very few things in my life, outside of my wife and family, that I can honestly say that I'm as proud of as this. I'm humbled and I'm honored. And I want to make the most of it before I retire."

"I'll continue my mission as a public affairs chief master sergeant by telling their stories, as well as the stories of thousands of other men and women in our armed forces, stories of selfless service, humble integrity, and courageous excellence in all they do," said Chief Kimball. "This is for them, for our children and our children's children...to remember and honor them and the sacrifices they've made in the name of freedom."

The chief concluded the ceremony reciting the Airman's Creed and leading in singing of the Air Force Song.

Chief Kimball hails from a long military heritage.

"Kimball is a Welsh name meaning 'warrior chief.' To the Anglo-Saxons, it meant noble or brave," the chief said. "So it's especially rewarding to have my brave, warrior family involved in the ceremony."

Another nephew, active-duty Marine Lt. Col. Alex Kimball Fulford, serves as the commanding officer of the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.

The chief's brother, John F. Kimball, Jr., (Maj. Kimball's father) served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, retiring as an Army civil service contracting officer from Maryland.

The chief's father, Jack, was a Navy explosive ordnance disposal specialist during World War II while their grandfather, who served honorably during World War I, also came back on active duty to serve during the second world war as an Army captain. And the list goes on...uncles and cousins served and still serve in uniform and as civil servants.

Chief Kimball advises the PA director on Reserve issues and assists in management of the career field throughout the command, mentoring and advising military and civilian public affairs professionals.

Kimball's ascent to chief began with active-duty service in 1979. Following Air Force basic training and completion of the Defense Information School Basic Journalist Course, he was assigned to the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom. He separated from the service after this assignment in the rank of sergeant to pursue education and work in the civilian sector as a journalist, actor, author, director and producer. In this arena, on the set of a production, he met his wife Tracey, an accomplished actress and athlete originally from South Africa.

The chief's return to service followed a successful effort to mentor his son to consider the Air Force after the junior Kimball's attempts to convince his father the U.S. Army was the way to go. With a 17-year break in service, Chief Kimball rejoined the Air Force Reserve in October 2000 in the rank of senior airman. Reserve public affairs assignments included service at the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson AFB; 460th Space Wing, Buckley AFB; ARPC and now AFSPC.

The total force has approximately 2,400 Airmen in the rank of chief master sergeant; the Air Force Reserve claims approximately 560 of those. Of the 560, there are now four Air Force Reserve Public Affairs chiefs. In addition to his role at AFPSC Public Affairs, the chief, with partner and son, Benjamin, operate a Denver-based film and video production company.