MARTINSBURG, W.Va. –
The 167th Airlift Wing held a change of responsibility ceremony, here, Sept. 10, to recognize the wing’s new command chief master sergeant.
Chief Master Sgt. Mark Snyder is the 167th’s ninth senior enlisted leader, taking over the role from Chief Master Sgt. Troy Brawner who has been the wing command chief for four and a half years.
As command chief, Snyder will be the principal advisor to the wing commander on matters of health, welfare and morale, professional development, and the effective utilization of the enlisted force of the wing.
Col. Martin Timko, 167th AW commander, said he utilizes his senior leader as an advocate, an advisor, and an amplifier.
“I need an advocate for the enlisted force and for the wing,” Timko said. “I see Mark as friend, as a peer, as a sounding board, helping me with the execution of the mission of the 167th Airlift Wing.”
Brawner said he is “delighted to pass the torch to Chief Mark Snyder. He is a dedicated and capable individual who brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to this position.”
Snyder, a longtime loadmaster, was previously the 167th Operations Group Senior Enlisted Leader. With 33 years of service, he has been the loadmaster section training Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge, scheduler, chief of standards and evaluations, assistant NCOIC, and loadmaster section superintendent. He has deployed in support of numerous operations and performed the first C-5 aircraft Line Operations Safety Audit. He has amassed 9,000 flying hours on C-130, C-5 and C-17 aircraft.
“Rest assured, I’ll be an approachable, transparent leader. I’ll strive for good communication and good listening,” Snyder said. “I’ll be open to change when change is necessary, and the words ‘because I said so’ will never come out of my mouth. It will never just be my way; it will always be our way in moving the wing forward.”
Brawner will be retiring next month with more than 34 years of military service.