3 JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. Chief Master Sgt. Jose Velez, Jr., former 459th Air Refueling Wing Command Chief, is set to retire Feb. 28, 2021, after 26 years of faithful and selfless service to our country.
Chief Velez was not always ‘Chief.’ He was once Airman Basic Velez in 1983, back when the uniform was an olive green color. He was only 18 years old.
“I remember going to the recruiting station when I was living in Staten Island, New York, with the intentions of joining the Marines, but as I was walking there, an Air Force recruiter stopped me and asked if I was interested in joining the Air Force,” he said. “I didn’t know what the outcome would be, but I talked to him and before I knew it, I was signing a six-year contract to join the Air Force.”
The last stripe: A Chiefs road to retirement > Nellis Air Force Base > News af.mil - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from af.mil Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.