HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Chief Master Sgt. William Hebb will retire from the Air Force during a ceremony at the Minuteman Commons here July 8 at 3 p.m.
The retirement ceremony will include a virtual option for those unable to attend in-person.
The chief has served more than 26 years in the Air Force, the past two as Hanscom’s senior enlisted advisor to the installation commander.
“The impact that you can make as a command chief, helping CEOs [civilians, enlisted and officers], has been incredibly rewarding,” he said. “My focus has been the people and their needs.”
Hebb arrived to Hanscom in July 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic.
“Coming here during COVID was a little challenging without being able to see people regularly, at least in-person,” he said. “We had to find new ways to interact.”
Hebb and Col. Katrina Stephens, the former 66th Air Base Group and installation commander, set a path to connect with the people.
“We found innovative ways to stay engaged with the workforce,” Hebb said. “We used videos, social media, going to people’s offices, their work centers, visiting the gates and clinic, and, despite the difficulty, we found ways to successfully connect with our teammates.”
The installation’s senior enlisted Airman discussed being a command chief here versus other locations.
“One of my favorite things about Hanscom is that you get an opportunity to know everybody,” he said. “It’s hard to know everyone at a larger installation, whereas here it’s a small footprint with a big mission impact.”
During his tenure, professional development remained a focus.
“I spent a lot of my time and effort to make sure we had opportunities to develop our CEOs,” said Hebb. “Hanscom University, while in the infant stages, is a one-stop professional development site for everyone at Hanscom.”
Hebb also focused on meeting the needs of dorm residents by designating space for junior enlisted members to spend off-duty time.
“We worked with our partners to fund Minuteman Escape, a space for dorm residents to meet and hang out, watch movies, and play video and board games,” he said.
He also spoke about the effort to build on the culture here.
“We wanted to create a motto that was focused on the critical work done at Hanscom Air Force Base,” said Hebb. “Revolutionizing the Warfighter’s Edge is exactly what we do here – develop systems to win future conflicts or to prevent future conflicts.”
At the same time, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was named the official installation mascot.
He said the past two years were among his best in the Air Force and he’s proud of the support he was able to provide to Airmen.
“The biggest thing about this job is being the touch point and knowing who to call when a situation arises,” he said. “I might not necessarily always know the answer, but I know who to call, who the expert you trust in that particular job to get it done.”
Following his retirement from the Air Force next month, Hebb will stay in the local community with his family.
“While I serve, my wife also serves, along with our children,” he said. “Without them allowing me to serve, or serving alongside me, I would not have been able to be a command chief or a chief master sergeant. They truly are the unsung heroes.”
Hebb issued the below challenge to Hanscom’s CEOs.
“Be the best that you can be at your job and as a person,” he said. “Take on opportunities outside of your comfort zone as it will challenge you and make you a better overall person.”