Meet the chief Published Feb. 17, 2010 By 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Chief Master Sgt. Marcus Snoddy, Incirlik's new command chief, lights up as he begins to share his thoughts on his new position as the 39th Air Base Wings newest command chief master sergeant. Public Affairs recently sat down with Chief Snoddy to find out what messages he had for Incirlik and his most important goals as the top enlisted leader of the wing. Are you nervous about the new position you are taking on? I am, in any new job or particular position with great responsibility there's always going to be a certain degree of nervousness. I think there should be, because the nervousness reminds us to be cautious. It's my own personal way to ensure that the things that I do, the advice I provide and the issues I will work on are the right ones. I should be taking care of Airmen and their families and I want to ensure I am always doing that to the best of my ability. What excites you the most about your new position as command chief? Having the opportunity to see if I knew what I was talking about when I was a young Airmen or Non-Commissioned Officer. We all say there are so many things we would do if we were in the right position, and I want to see if I can hold myself up to my own promises. Another really important thing is serving. I'm excited to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Airmen and their families. I know I'm not going to be able to solve every issue but if I can make a genuine difference and make things better than when I got here, that would be exceptional for me. What was your reaction when you first learned you got the job? Disbelief! Because I was already on my way to Guam to be a superintendent, and after so many interviews I did not expect [Col. Eric Beene, 39th Air Base Wing commander] to call and ask me to be his wingman. It was definitely a big surprise, but a great one. Did anyone give you advice for your new position? Three friends of mine who are current, or have served as, command chiefs pretty much all gave me the same advice; take care of your Airmen and never forget who you're serving: the Airmen. What is one message you want to stress to Airmen? Make sure your STRIPES are always are always aligned. This is an acronym I use that stands for Standards, Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Professionalism, Excellence and Selfless Service. These are things I believe in whole heartedly. They are the bedrock of my personal leadership philosophy. This is how I carry myself and how I lead. I want our Airmen to hold me to these standards because I will use them to measure their commitment to the mission, to their families, significant others and to their fellow Airmen. What do you think your biggest challenge will be here at Incirlik? With the manning and Ops tempo stressors issues that come along with Incirlik, my biggest challenge might be getting people to embrace every moment they are here. I want to help people avoid the mindset that they are only here for a short time. I want Airmen to drop the temporary mindset and take advantage of all Turkey has to offer. To use a quote from a friend of mine, "Even though you are here for a set amount of time, don't count the days, make the days count." Just being yourself, what can we expect? Expect me to be out and about. I will be engaging with Airmen and I will always be honest and candid. I'm a strong believer in being candid and giving people honest feedback, simply because I care. If I didn't care, I would allow you to do the wrong things; and this would be going against the entire foundation of my job. It is my responsibility to help Airmen be the best they can be. What do you think the biggest challenge for today's Airmen is? An ongoing challenge for today's Airmen is to become comfortable with a Soldier on their left, a Sailor on their right and a Marine in front of them. A joint coalition environment makes a difference when you are able to understand another service's culture and in turn share the Air Force culture with them.