Minot Chief serves as top enlisted at Afghanistan Engineer District-North Published Jan. 13, 2011 By Paul Giblin U.S. Army Corps of Engineers KABUL, AFGHANISTAN -- Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Forest Lisner, a 24-year service member and Civil Engineer Chief Enlisted Manager at Minot AFB, spent his first several weeks in Afghanistan piloting a new course within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in northern Afghanistan. Lisner, 45, is the first non-commissioned officer outside of the Army to serve in the top spot for enlistees within Afghanistan Engineer District-North. He arrived for a six-month tour on Nov. 14, succeeding retiring Army Command Sgt. Maj. Calvin Williams. Lisner previously served in two Army commands, including a prior attachment with the Corps of Engineers, and he's found that while some of the internal protocols and regulations differ between the Air Force and the Army, the personnel are strikingly similar. The same holds true for Marines and Navy personnel who also work alongside one another within the command, he said. "Once you sit down at a table and have dinner or lunch with them, you see they're no different than you. They're military people. They have a common goal," Lisner said. "They're basically the same, but wear different uniforms." Army Col. Thomas Magness, the district commander, noted that all the military positions within the district are opened to be filled by members of any service. In fact, Lisner is just one of several Airmen to in leadership positions. "The fact is that the Air Force truly has stepped up when it's come time to source this joint command," Magness said. "You look at every corner of this organization where we've got military people; the Air Force is highly represented." Magness looks to Lisner serve as the standard bearer for all the enlistees, regardless of their individual services. "He is the senior enlisted man in this organization and he will be the one to uphold the standards, to maintain discipline, to lead by example for the rest of the enlisted ranks in this command," Magness said. The colonel said Lisner's position allows him to serve as the point of contact for enlisted personnel and even civilians who have issues or concerns about a variety of topics. "The chief is someone whose door is open. He's willing to listen. Maybe he can solve their problem at that level," Magness said. Not coincidentally, Lisner said he believes that one of his top responsibilities is working with the deputy commander, Army Lt. Col. Jon Chytka, and the civilian chief of staff, Jay Burcham, to keep matters off Magness' desk, allowing the colonel to focus his attention on the district's primary mission of building millions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects in Afghanistan. There are additional responsibilities, many additional responsibilities. "At the end of the day, sometimes it's racking and stacking tasks when everything is urgent, everything is an emergency," Lisner said. "You know what I mean by that - everything needs to be done now, but which one needs to be done more now?" Among his other priorities are ensuring the safety and serving as a mediator for military personnel and civilians on matters involving policies and procedures. "A lot of these kids who are joining the military now are pretty smart kids," he said. "They tend to think that they have a say in everything. Sometimes we have to listen to that, yet we still have to articulate the fact that they still have a boss and they still have a set of orders to follow. That's where I come in." For civilians, he's regularly called upon to explain to why consenting to military practices is important, particularly in a war zone. Lisner, a Wisconsin native, joined the Air Force after losing an athletic scholarship to Northern Michigan University. During high school in Minocqua, Wis., he earned a slot on the U.S. Junior Olympic wrestling team and competed at 98 and 105 pounds. However, after signing with the Northern Michigan Wildcats, he suffered a concussion while barefoot waterskiing. He still can't remember anything about the summer of 1983, the year he graduated from high school. He was in no shape to report to the university for classes, so his collegiate wrestling career ended before it started. He worked for a few years, but wanted something more in life. "I walked up to my dad one day and said, 'I'm better than this. I need to change my lifestyle,'" Lisner said. Though no one in his family previously had served in the military, he joined the Air Force because of the job training opportunities the service offered. He obtained associates degrees in heating, ventilation and air conditioning at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1994; and in mechanical and electrical technology, and in construction technology at the Community College of the Air Force in Montgomery, Ala., in 2000 and 2001, respectively. He was promoted to chief master sergeant, the highest Air Force enlisted rank with exception to the rank of chief master sergeant in September 2008. Lisner and his wife Amy met while both served in the Air Force in Egypt. They've been married for 14 years. She has since left the military and works as a teacher's assistant in North Dakota. They have two children, Joe, a 14-year-old high school freshman, and Megan, a 12-year-old seventh-grader. Outside of work, Lisner enjoys outdoor activities, such as fishing, camping, hiking and four-wheeling, with his wife and children.