349th AMW welcomes new command chief Published Oct. 22, 2007 By Master Sgt. Wendy Weidenhamer 349th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- "Finally reached that goal!" This was Chief Master Sgt. Christine Taylor's first thought when she heard she had been selected as the 349th Air Mobility Wing command chief. She has always known what she wanted to do and becoming command chief was at the top of her list of life goals. "Being selected as the command chief is like a dream come true," Chief Taylor said. "I'm very proud to be selected for the command chief of the 349th AMW. I wouldn't have wanted it anywhere else." "The 349th command chief position has been an integral part of staying connected with our Airmen, and while I had some really outstanding individuals apply for this position, I believe Chief Taylor will bring a new level of excellence to the position, and I am looking forward to working with her," said Brig. Gen. Thomas Gisler, 349th AMW commander. After high school, Chief Taylor knew she wanted to go to college, but her family couldn't afford to send both her twin sister and herself. So she looked into the education opportunities offered by the U.S. Army. "It was a tough time, it was the end of the Vietnam War, so my family was not all that tickled that that was going to be my option, but they supported me," said Chief Taylor with just a hint of her New York accent evident. She made the decision to enlist in the U.S. Army, beginning her 31-year military career. She served for three-and-half years, extending long enough to finish school. After separating from the Army, the chief decided to go home and continue school. Meanwhile, she found herself missing the military and decided to join the Air Force Reserve. During that time, Chief Taylor visited a friend in California. She liked the area so much that she decided to move permanently and transferred to the Reserve unit at Travis. The chief continued in her avionics career field, working on C-5 Galaxy and C-141B Starlifter aircraft while also attending Chico State University. Happy with her avionics career field, the chief still had visions of her future goals spurring her on. She had always wanted to work in an airport, and the aerial port squadron seemed like a great way to get experience. She applied and was accepted into the 47th Aerial Port Squadron. "I've always had my eye on whatever I needed to do to keep my finger on the pulse of the wing, realizing that could be the next great opportunity for me," the chief said. Chief Taylor had thought about applying for the command chief position but life stopped her. "Now that I've had my journey, I find I'm so much more prepared today than three or four years ago when Chief Patricia Thornton was throwing her hat into the ring, which is when I would've wanted to do it. So there's a reason that life got in the way for me, it wasn't the right time," reflected Chief Taylor. Reflecting on her new job and her plans for the future energizes the chief. "My goal right now is to keep the wing in its elite status," Chief Taylor said. "The wing is so well revered all across the numbered Air Forces, and my goals are to: one, keep it that way and two, figure out a way to elevate us to the next level." "With all the changes and transitions now, people are being asked to do more than they were ever being asked to do before and I think a big part of my job now is to make sure we are all prepared for tomorrow," Chief Taylor said. As for advice to Airmen for reaching their goals: "If you want something, decide you want it," Chief Taylor said. "Don't worry about the rocks, the bumps and the pebbles in the road. You may not get it at the time you want it, but you'll get when the time is right. Also, don't let life derail you. Figure out who you are, who you want to be and how you want to be remembered and go for it!"