Third generation Chief Master Sergeant

  • Published
  • By Michael Fletcher
  • 97th AMW Public Affairs
ALTUS --  When the Shreiner family of Marietta, Ga. gets together it's often a gathering of Chiefs. Chief Master Sgt. Glenn Shreiner, the air traffic chief controller at the Altus AFB, Okla., Radar Approach Control, is a third-generation chief master sergeant.

"My grandfather entered the Army Air Corps in 1943 and served in World War II with the Flying Tigers in China as a B-25 engineer and gunner," Chief Shreiner said. "He has kept a diary of his 26 year career and about flying over the "Hump" (Himalaya mountains) during the war." After World War II his grandfather became a flight engineer for Airsea Rescue SA-16 aircraft based in North Africa, Germany and Washington state, retiring as a chief master sergeant in 1969.

"My grandfather told me that he transferred from the Army Air Corps in 1947 and made the Air Force a career because he enjoyed the service life and the security it provided," Chief Shreiner said.

Shreiner's father, Chief Master Sgt. Larry Shreiner, divided his Air Force career between electronics and recruiting.

"My earliest memories of the Air Force are while we were stationed in the Philippines," Chief Shreiner said. "I was always interested in aviation but it was my brother that wanted to join the military. When we graduated from high school it turned out to be me that signed up. My brother decided on the corporate world.

"Since my father was in recruiting it was probably a foregone conclusion that I'd join the Air Force. One advantage to having a father in recruiting was that when I expressed interest in air traffic control or becoming a boom operator, he could provide me the advantages of both career fields. I ended up choosing the air traffic control field where I've spent all of my 21 years of service."

Chief Shreiner enlisted at Scott AFB where his father was a chief master sergeant at Military Airlift Command headquarters. They spent a few months overlap before his father's retirement. Since then he has had assignments at Patrick Air Force Base, FL, where he met his wife, Tanya and where their two daughters, Kristen and Kaitlyn, were born. Then assignments in Belgium, Columbus AFB, Miss., a short tour in Osan, Korea, McGuire AFB, N.J. where he was promoted to Senior Master Sgt., and then to Altus. He was promoted to chief master sergeant in August.

"One thing I remember about my grandfather and father is that they attributed their success to the importance of doing a job right," Chief Shreiner said. "We have all stayed with the Air Force because of the challenges, responsibilities and opportunities the civilian world could not match."

The Altus AFB RAPCON conducts the Air Force's Airfield Operations Officer Training Program, a 40-week program which trains officers in RAPCON Tower and Airfield Management Operations. Once graduated, the officers become Air Force airfield flight commanders. As chief controller for the RAPCON, Chief Shreiner is a primary instructor for the course. Altus AFB is the only active duty Air Force base to train air field operations officers.