Chief reflects on long, successful career

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The Air Force has been the only profession Hanscom's senior enlisted advisor has known. As retirement looms, Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell "Bull" Balutski, 66th Air Base Group superintendent and base senior enlisted advisor, reflects back on an Air Force journey that nearly ended as quickly as it began.

Balutski admits the airman first class version of himself was not someone who would survive long in today's Air Force. The chief attributes a "course correction" by a well-respected supervisor during his first assignment in Texas as a career changing event that put his potential career in perspective early on.

"Senior Master Sergeant Bill Barr sat me down and said, 'Kenny Balutski you will never amount to anything in the United States Air Force unless you change your ways,'" Balutski said. "Adding: 'Would you like to go home in disgrace?'"

Those words resonated with him. Returning home in disgrace wasn't anything Balutski was interested in.

Heeding the advice of his supervisor, Balutski took the necessary steps to salvage his career.

He was soon reassigned overseas to a unit that was more like being in the Army than the Air Force, he said.

"Once a month our unit would deploy to the field for a week at a time," said Balutski.

It was during this period that he began making long term plans to stay in the Air Force and become a "professional Airman," a decision that has resulted in a 30 year career.

"When I was in Germany doing amazing work, I decided I wanted to make the Air Force a career," he said. "There are so many opportunities to learn, meet people and experience exciting things -- something I never would have been able to do otherwise."

The other notable event in the chief's career, and life, was when he married his wife Donna in 1991 after returning from a deployment.

"I got married after coming back from Desert Storm, which was probably the other pivotal event in my career because it wasn't just about me anymore," Balutski said. "I instantly became a husband and a father. That changed my view on life dramatically."

Soon after, Balutski was selected for a command-level position to work directly for a chief, a position the junior NCO originally passed on - not fully comprehending the significance of the personal phone call. The assignment traditionally targeted master sergeants or senior master sergeants; Balutski was a picked for the position as s technical sergeant-select.

"I didn't understand entirely what he was doing when he asked to interview me for a position on his staff," Balutski said. "I basically said 'That's ok chief, I'm good -- I like it here [at Tyndall Air Force Base].' I had no idea what I was doing."

Balutski attributed that assignment as the best career move he could have made.

"Working directly for a chief at the MAJCOM has its benefits," he said. "I was placed in positions to succeed and learned a lot while assigned there."

A lesson Balutski reflects on when assisting Airmen he believes can similarly do great things.

"You see what Airmen are doing and can quickly see greatness in them; they say chiefs are like talent scouts -- you find it, you build it and then exploit their greatness for the greater good of the Air Force," Balutski said.

Something Hanscom's senior "talent scout" has done in his position as senior enlisted advisor.

"We have identified a lot of Airmen here that are being selected for strategic level jobs in the Air Force as part of the Air Force's new Developmental Special Duty selection process."

Balutski can empathize with Airmen being called outside their comfort zone through his experience while assigned at the MAJCOM. He encourages Airmen being selected for these positions to think "big picture."

"It's hard to tell someone they will be out of their comfort zone," he said. "But when you look back at it after the fact, you realize it is a tremendous builder of strategic capability for the Air Force."

Balutski said the legacy he is proud to be leaving behind most is a young Airman 1st Class Kalai Balutski.

"For my son to want to follow in the family business is incredible," chief said. "He will be a great Airman - he already is, and he is doing wonderful things. I could brag about him all day long."

The soon-to-be retired Balutski now plans to live vicariously through his son. And with a second son still in high school also considering the Air Force, the chief still has a lot he can provide to the Air Force.