Death of Former CMSAF Pfingston

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Subject: Death of Former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gary R. Pfingston

1. It is with deep regret that we inform you of the death of Former
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gary R. Pfingston. He died
SATURDAY in SAN ANTONIO, Texas, from cancer. He is survived by his
wife, Marsha and their two children, Mark and brad.


2. Chief Pfingston was the 10th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
and held this highest Air Force enlisted position during Desert Storm,
the first Gulf War. He served as CMSAF from August 1990 to October
1994.

3. Chief Pfingston was born in Evansville, Ind., on January 2, 1940.
He played minor league baseball before enlisting in the Air Force on
February 23, 1962 as an aircraft mechanic. He attended aircraft
mechanics technical school at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, in the
summer of 1962 after graduating from Basic Military Training, Lackland
AFB, Texas.

4. He served as a B-52 crew chief at Castle AFB, Calif from 1962 to
1968 and then worked on B-52s and KC-135s at Plattsburgh AFB, N.Y. from
1968 to 1972. After serving in Thailand at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Base
for a year between 1972 and 1973, he became a military training
instructor at Lackland AFB in 1973. In 1979 he became commandant of the
Military Training Instructor School. He became a first sergeant in 1982
and then between 1984 and 1990 he was a senior enlisted advisOr at
George AFB, Calif.; Bergstrom AFB, Texas; and Pacific Air Forces
Headquarters, Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

5. On August 1, 1990 he became CMSAF. Chief Pfingston's focus during
his tenure was tackling the Air Force's drawdown and budget. After
basic allowance for substance issues arose during increased deployments
surrounding Gulf War I, he worked to continue BAS for Airmen living in
field conditions and toward increasing Servicemen's Group Life Insurance
amounts. His toughest challenge was Air Force downsizing. With a goal of
avoiding involuntary separations during the on-going force drawdown, he
worked to get the Voluntary Separation Incentive and Special Separation
Bonus programs established. He retired October 25, 1994.

6. Chief Pfingston's military awards and decorations include the
Distinguished SERVICE Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal
and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

7. The memorial service will be at lackland afb, texas and the burial
will be at Arlington. In lieu of flowers, contributions should be made
to THE FISHER HOUSE, THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA sOCIETY OR THE UNIVERSITY
OF TEXAS M.D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER.