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Mighty Ninety welcomes new command chief

  • Published
  • By Airman Jason Wiese
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  Chief Master Sgt. Michael Garrou, the new 90th Missile Wing command chief, arrived at F. E. Warren in early April.

He plans to apply the experience he has gained throughout his Air Force career to provide Mighty Ninety Airmen with the best enlisted leadership possible.

Garrou is pleased with what he has seen of F. E. Warren so far, he said.

When Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander, U.S. Strategic Command, and other distinguished USSTRATCOM visitors toured F. E. Warren, Garrou had the opportunity to accompany them.

"I was able to see the Airmen do exceptionally well," he said. "The base was well prepared for the visit and the USSTRATCOM commander had some really great things to say about F. E. Warren.

"My impressions are that this is an outstanding base, and the 90th Missile Wing is an outstanding unit," Garrou said.

Garrou said his views on F. E. Warren are influenced by his previous assignment at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. His time there provided some experience with Air Force Global Strike Command's mission of developing and providing combat-ready forces for nuclear deterrence and global strike operations.

"It was [Air Force] Space Command then, so it was a little bit different, but it did prepare me for the assignment because we had a nuclear mission," Garrou said.

He spent time in Malmstrom's missile fields performing construction inspections where he became aware of the harsh conditions, such as a cold climate, under which the Airmen performed. From this experience, he gained a deep appreciation for the Warren Airmen who operate under similar conditions, he said.

"They're 'all-weather,'" he said.

As a civil engineer, Garrou will also utilize experience he has gained from that career field in his new position.

"The one thing about CE is that there's nothing that happens on an installation CE doesn't touch," Garrou said. "We're connected to everything."

By working with a large number of units on the installations where he has been assigned, Garrou learned the importance of teamwork and how all Airmen depend on one another, he said.

"I think my career as a civil engineer and being able to be part of a bigger team really helped me prepare for this job," he said.

Garrou had an opportunity to speak with Maj. Gen. Everett H. Thomas, AFGSC vice commander, during which Thomas told him that AFGSC's mission is the ultimate homeland defense.

"What a great perspective of what our mission is," Garrou said. "It's a huge deterrence force."

America's potential enemies need to be aware of its nuclear capabilities, he added.

"If we're called on, we've got to be ready to perform that mission," Garrou said. "I've got a very deep respect for the mission we have here."

As for his personal goals, Garrou said he hopes to represent the enlisted force to the senior base leaders well, which is the number one job of a command chief.

"My goal is to make sure that I give the commander the best information regarding the enlisted Airmen," Garrou said.

There are certain expectations Garrou has of the enlisted corps. According to him, junior enlisted Airmen have the responsibility to become proficient at their jobs.

"The mission of this Wing is on the backs of our young Airmen," he said.

NCOs have the responsibility to be skilled technicians as well as great leaders, Garrou said.

"Our Airmen deserve nothing but the best leadership," he said.

Finally, senior NCOs are responsible for developing the future. His expectation is for them to teach NCOs under their supervision, he said.

"It's to mentor the NCOs on how to be good leaders so they can take care of the Airmen who are performing our mission," Garrou said.

For all Airmen, Garrou urges them to remember they are Airmen first and Airmen always.

"You never take the uniform completely off," he said. "Whatever you're doing -- whether you're downtown having fun with your friends or you're performing your mission -- you always have to remember you are representing the United States Air Force with your attitudes, your bearing and your behavior."

One might find Garrou in a work area speaking to the enlisted corps which he represents. He intends to use whatever time he has available to get to know the Airmen on base. He calls this "leadership by walking about."

"Granted, the command chief's time is tied up a lot of times attending meetings and things," he said. "Sometimes I may only get 15, 20 or 30 minutes to get out and about, but every opportunity I can, I'm going to swing by an office to meet the Airmen and see how they're doing."

Garrou expressed his passion for the enlisted corps, he said.

"I've been in for almost 25 years," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind our Airmen are the best the nation has to offer."

As the new command chief of the 90th MW, Garrou said he will fill that role to the best of his ability.

"Being a command chief is an honor and a privilege," Garrou said. "To represent the enlisted force to our commanders is a huge responsibility -- one that I don't take lightly. I hope to do the best job I possibly can representing every Airman, no matter what career field, no matter what job they do, to the commander and the other senior leaders on base."

To see Garrou's oficial biography, click here.