Photo By Senior Airman Mason Hargrove | U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason Shaffer, 56th Fighter Wing Command Chief, rings...... read more read more
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LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA—
“Never let the mind tell the heart what it can’t do.”
-CMSGT Jason Shaffer
On August 26, 2022, CMSgt. Jason Shaffer assumed the role of the 56th Fighter Wing command chief at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Since arriving, Shaffer has reflected on his vision for Luke AFB and how Airmen can best support the mission as a whole.
“To me, leadership is about serving others,” said Shaffer. “It’s doing your best every day to build trust, inspire effort and set high standards. I believe in servant leadership. It’s not about the position, it’s about helping others, helping those to your left and right. I have a motto, the same as Chief Weimer, and that is you have to earn it every day. What does leadership mean? It means you do everything you can to help someone else.”
Shaffer hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in March 2000 as a security forces airman. Shaffer is known for focusing on people and caring for Airmen under his command.
“It doesn’t matter where you work, you are important to our mission. I think to find meaning you have to look internally,” said Shaffer. “I will work to help anyone find their why and purpose, but we all need to remember why we serve.”
Having been all over the globe in his career, he focuses on his own driving force that keeps him going.
“The first thing that drives me is my family,” said Shaffer. “I serve every day because of them, and they give me the passion to work harder every day. Having dealt with such emotional rollercoasters, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate life, and the opportunity to make a difference. I have a special needs daughter, who’s had a lot of things happen, so I understand the impact on our lives (the Air Force can make) and how things can change in an instant.”
For Shaffer, it’s not about being the best in the room. It’s about becoming better every single day. Success, for him, is being a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday.
“I have a saying I made up,” said Shaffer. “It says, ‘Never let the mind tell the heart what it can’t do.’ Success is what we define it as and nobody else. What we all have to do is determine what your definition of success is. Don’t let anyone else define it. Dream big and go grab your success.”
As the 56th FW command chief, Shaffer is responsible for the development of the wing and for the Airmen who keep it running every day.
“My vision is to keep moving this amazing fighter wing forward,” said Shaffer. “We have such a powerful opportunity in our careers to be at a location with such an important mission for our Air Force. My goal is to make sure every Airman feels connected to the mission, the team, and the community. To make sure our Airmen feel they are protected and can take the risk needed to get after moving our FW forward. Finally, my vision is to ensure everyone is respected and included. All that said, we need to have fun and earn it every day.”
Shaffer is determined to ensure the success of the wing commander Brig. Gen. Jason Rueschhoff, Luke AFB’s mission, and the Airmen of the 56th FW.
| Date Taken: | 09.28.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.28.2022 13:38 |
| Story ID: | 430271 |
| Location: | LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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