David J. Campanale
Encyclopedia
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
David J. Campanale (born October 7, 1952) was the eleventh person appointed to the highest noncommissioned officer position in the United States Air Force
.
Chief Campanale was born in Worcester, Massachusetts
. He graduated from North High School and entered the Air Force in October 1970. He completed technical training as an aircraft maintenance specialist at Sheppard Air Force Base
, Texas. In February 1971, he was assigned as a B-52 Stratofortress
crew chief in the 2nd Organization Maintenance Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base
, Louisiana. While there, he completed three successive tours at Andersen Air Force Base
, Guam
, in support of B-52 Operation Arc Light
missions in Southeast Asia
. His career includes tours at bases in Indiana
, Hawaii
, New Hampshire
, and Nebraska
. He served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the 93rd Bomb Wing, Castle Air Force Base
, California; and Air Mobility Command
, Scott Air Force Base
, Illinois.
CMSAF Campanale served as the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force from October 1994 to November 1996. He retired from active duty effective January 1, 1997. He now resides in southern Arizona, and frequently speaks at USAF gatherings.
His most notable contributions during his time on active duty in the CMSAF slot include a major push for single dorm occupancy (which led to the current dorm single occupancy policy,) and a reduction of DUI incidents at Castle AFB in 1 year from over 190, to less than 5.
Chief Campanale also fought a USAF uniform change, which removed name tapes and rank insignia from the battle dress uniform. The USAF swapped for a short time to a single black label worn over the left breast pocket which contained text including the rank, name, and position of the invidiual. Disagreeing with this change, Chief Campanale said, "To prove my point, I had the secretary of a 3-star General remove the stars (rank insignia) from the Generals' BDU collar, then affixed the black label over his nametape as would be worn by everyone else. I then challenged that if he were to walk with me around the base, nobody would salute or render courtesies, since they couldn't read it. He accepted my challenge, and after about an hour of walking, someone finally recognized the General and said, "Hey.. aren't you General so and so?"" Within a few weeks, the black patch was being phased out, and the rank insignia/name tapes were on the way back in.
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Air Force. The holder of this rank and post represents the highest enlisted level of leadership in the Air Force, and as such, provides direction for the enlisted corps and represents their interests,...
David J. Campanale (born October 7, 1952) was the eleventh person appointed to the highest noncommissioned officer position in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
Chief Campanale was born in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. He graduated from North High School and entered the Air Force in October 1970. He completed technical training as an aircraft maintenance specialist at Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Education and Training Command...
, Texas. In February 1971, he was assigned as a B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
crew chief in the 2nd Organization Maintenance Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
, Louisiana. While there, he completed three successive tours at Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, in support of B-52 Operation Arc Light
Operation Arc Light
Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52D Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam...
missions in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. His career includes tours at bases in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. He served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the 93rd Bomb Wing, Castle Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced and about east southeast of San Francisco, California....
, California; and Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
, Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...
, Illinois.
CMSAF Campanale served as the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force from October 1994 to November 1996. He retired from active duty effective January 1, 1997. He now resides in southern Arizona, and frequently speaks at USAF gatherings.
His most notable contributions during his time on active duty in the CMSAF slot include a major push for single dorm occupancy (which led to the current dorm single occupancy policy,) and a reduction of DUI incidents at Castle AFB in 1 year from over 190, to less than 5.
Chief Campanale also fought a USAF uniform change, which removed name tapes and rank insignia from the battle dress uniform. The USAF swapped for a short time to a single black label worn over the left breast pocket which contained text including the rank, name, and position of the invidiual. Disagreeing with this change, Chief Campanale said, "To prove my point, I had the secretary of a 3-star General remove the stars (rank insignia) from the Generals' BDU collar, then affixed the black label over his nametape as would be worn by everyone else. I then challenged that if he were to walk with me around the base, nobody would salute or render courtesies, since they couldn't read it. He accepted my challenge, and after about an hour of walking, someone finally recognized the General and said, "Hey.. aren't you General so and so?"" Within a few weeks, the black patch was being phased out, and the rank insignia/name tapes were on the way back in.
Assignments
- October 1970 - December 1970, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force BaseLackland Air Force BaseLackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas - December 1970 - February 1971, student, technical training, Sheppard Air Force BaseSheppard Air Force BaseSheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Education and Training Command...
, Texas - February 1971 - April 1974, B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
crew chiefPit stopIn motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
, 2nd Organizational Maintenance Squadron, Barksdale Air Force BaseBarksdale Air Force BaseBarksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
, Louisiana. - April 1974 - August 1978, 305th Field Maintenance Squadron, Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana.
- August 1978 - August 1983, C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
crew chief; noncommissioned officer in charge, C-130 inspection branch; and maintenance superintendent, 6594th Test Group, Air Force Systems Command, Hickam Air Force BaseHickam Air Force BaseHickam Field, re-named Hickam Air Force Base in 1948, was a United States Air Force facility now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Meek Hickam.- History :...
, Hawaii - August 1983 - August 1986, FB-111A and KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
flight chief and line chief, 509th Organizational Maintenance Squadron; and senior maintenance controller for the deputy commander for maintenance, 509th Bomb Wing, Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire. - August 1986 - May 1989, FB-111A and B-1B Lancer systems program manager, Headquarters Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, - Offutt Air Force BaseOffutt Air Force BaseOffutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
, Nebraska. - May 1989 - February 1992, senior enlisted adviser, 93rd Bomb Wing, Castle Air Force BaseCastle Air Force BaseCastle Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced and about east southeast of San Francisco, California....
, Calif. - February 1992 - October 1994, senior enlisted adviser, Military Airlift CommandMilitary Airlift CommandThe Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
and Air Mobility CommandAir Mobility CommandAir Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
, Scott Air Force BaseScott Air Force BaseScott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...
, Illinois. - October 1994 - November 1996, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, The PentagonThe PentagonThe Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Awards and Decorations
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Master Maintenance Badge |
| Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Air Force Distinguished Service Medal The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal was created by an act of the United States Congress on July 6, 1960. The medal was intended as a new decoration of the United States Air Force to replace the policy of awarding the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Air Force personnel.The Air Force... |
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| Legion of Merit Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements... |
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| Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (United States) The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969... with two bronze oak leaf clusters Oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration... |
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| Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters | |
| Air Force Achievement Medal Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States military. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service... with bronze oak leaf cluster |
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| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Outstanding Unit Award The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1954. The award is presented as a ribbon to any command of the U.S... with Valor device Valor device The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor... and silver oak leaf cluster |
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| Air Force Organizational Excellence Award Organizational Excellence Award The Air Force Organizational Excellence Award is an award of the United States Air Force and is the lowest ranking unit award. The award was first created in 1969 and is presented to Air Force internal organizations that are entities within larger organizations... |
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| Air Force Good Conduct Medal with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters | |
| National Defense Service Medal National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower... with service star Service star A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service... |
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| Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during... |
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| Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon | |
| Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon | |
| Air Force Longevity Service Award Air Force Longevity Service Award The Air Force Longevity Service Award is a military award of the United States Air Force which was first issued in 1957 by order of General Thomas D. White, Air Force Chief of Staff... with silver oak leaf cluster |
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| NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon A Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon is an award issued by the United States Army and Air Force to recognize those non-commissioned officers who have completed a prescribed leadership course at an NCO training school.-Army:... with two oak leaf clusters |
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| Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon Marksmanship Ribbon A Marksmanship Ribbon is an award of the United States Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard that is issued to service members who pass a weapons qualification course and achieve an above-average score.-Navy:... with service star |
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| Air Force Training Ribbon Air Force Training Ribbon The Air Force Training Ribbon is the lowest military award of the United States Air Force, ranking only above foreign military awards.The Air Force Training Ribbon was authorized by the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force on October 12, 1980. It is awarded to U.S. Air Force service members on completion... |
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| Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Award | |
| Vietnam Campaign Medal Vietnam Campaign Medal The Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military recognition awarded by the Republic of Vietnam, , to any member of the United States, Australian, New Zealand and allied military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.Established in 1966, the decoration is... |
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