JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- Air Education and Training Command boasts a newly inducted Hall of Famer.
Robbie Bogard, AETC’s occupational safety manager, received the prestigious Department of the Air Force Safety Hall of Fame award at the recent semi-annual Air Force Occupational Safety Corporate Committee meeting at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M.
“I am both humbled and honored by this recognition, as I still really just consider myself a small-town kid,” said Bogard who grew up in Smithville, Ohio, which has a population of about 1,300.
That small-town kid’s efforts in safety, mishap prevention and risk management have positively impacted hundreds of thousands of Airmen over the past four decades.
According to the Air Force Safety Center, DAF Safety Hall of Fame inductions come infrequently, honoring the lifetime achievements of only those few safety professionals who have truly made unique contributions within the DAF Occupational Safety and Health community. These contributions must be made over an extended period and result in enduring, unprecedented and significant improvements to Air Force or Space Force safety. The awardee’s performance and contributions are generally recognized by his or her peers as being of exceptional excellence and of quantifiable value to safety.
“Rob is one of the best civilians I’ve worked with in my 28 years in the Air Force,” said Col. Will Phillips, AETC director of safety. “It’s always fun to work alongside someone who has a passion for what they do, and Rob definitely fits that description. He truly believes in the mission of safety and has been relentless in his efforts to constantly improve occupational safety within the Air Force. His Hall of Fame award is a testament to the fact that his efforts have left an indelible mark, not only on Air Education and Training Command, but across the Department of the Air Force as he has advocated for compliant, common-sense policies that keep our Airmen and Guardians safe from unnecessary harm and preserve Air Force assets.”
Bogard says he has enjoyed his 41-year journey with the Air Force. He spent 25.5 years on active duty, reaching the top enlisted rank of chief master sergeant, and another 15.5 years as a civil servant, reaching the rank of GS-14. He started his Air Force career as a fitness and recreation specialist in 1984, before cross-training into safety in January 1988. He has served as safety’s career field manager at the Air Force Safety Center, as well as the occupational safety manager at both major command and wing levels. His storied career includes multiple Air Force Col. Will L. Tubbs Memorial Awards, which recognizes the service’s most effective occupational safety program of the year. He led the AETC occupational team to the Air Force’s most recent Tubbs title, which was presented in April. Bogard also earned a GEICO Military Service Award, which recognizes seven Department of Defense servicemembers each year who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions not only in their military roles but also as engaged citizens in their local communities.
Among the impacts he made over the years included restructuring the 2nd Air Force safety office from a traditional Numbered Air Force safety office to a risk management office focused solely on minimizing risk in training. Additionally, when he took over as safety’s career field manager, senior master sergeant manning typically hovered around 33 percent. Bogard determined the root cause of the shortage, implemented some changes to manpower requirements, and over the next decade the career field’s senior master sergeants drastically increased.
“I’ve prided myself on trying to be a servant-leader not only to the Airmen and civilians in safety, but to the entire Air Force. I’ve strived to create a safer environment for all Airmen and have watched our mishap numbers dramatically dwindle from the 1980s until now.”
As his initial safety instructors, Bill Morrow and Bill Parsons, both legendary safety pros in their own right, helped launch Bogard’s career.
“They created the strong foundation my career was built upon,” Bogard said. “And the late Al Watters, my first supervisor in safety, taught me to think critically about safety issues and build a strong ‘safety’ work ethic. Al taught me as a young buck sergeant and staff sergeant to think beyond my rank and take the leadership role when you can. There are so many others I have worked with throughout the years who had a big impact on my success, and I am eternally grateful to them all.
“Most of all, thank you to my wife (Caroline Bogard-van Der Leeden) for putting up with me. She endured my long hours and packing up the house and moving from the Netherlands to Washington state to Portugal to Texas to Germany to Texas to Germany to New Mexico to Texas to Germany and finally back to Texas, so I could continue serving our nation and the Air Force.”
In the 47 years since the Air Force Safety Center created the DAF Safety Hall of Fame, only 96 people have been inducted … or an average of about two per year. To memorialize his induction and his years of service, Bogard’s name has been added to the list of Safety Hall of Famers on the Air Force Safety Center’s website: https://www.safety.af.mil/Home/Safety-Awards/DAF-Safety-Hall-of-Fame-Award/.
Bogard will end his 41-year Air Force career in December when he retires.
“It’s been a pretty cool ride,” he said. “And being inducted into Safety’s Hall of Fame is just icing on the cake.”