TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. —
In the realm of leadership, common characteristics include empathy, strategic vision, decisiveness and adaptability. Recently, the base welcomed a new member who exemplifies these qualities, arguably sparking inspiration and admiration among their peers.
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Laura recently joined Team Travis, its first-ever female command chief and the 12th command chief since 1994.
As command chief, Hoover leads the enlisted force and serves as the principal advisor to the 60th AMW commander for the combined efforts of all wing operations and support activities associated with the worldwide air mobility mission. She is also charged with ensuring the effective utilization, training, development and readiness of more than 26,100 active-duty, reserve, civilian personnel and their families.
“I’m excited about the larger scope and scale as far as operations and the people involved with the 60th AMW,” said Hoover. “I’m extremely passionate about the readiness of our Airmen and their families.”
Hoover is a native of Charleston, South Carolina, and entered the U.S. Air Force in June 2002 as an air traffic controller. Although joining the military wasn’t always part of her plan, she attributes her choice to two things: her grandfather and the call to patriotism after the events of 9/11.
“My grandfather, who was a World War II veteran and passed away about two years ago at the age of 97, was a huge influence on me,” said Hoover.
Some of Hoover’s accomplishments she has earned over her career so far is the 51st Fighter Wing Air Traffic Controller of the Year in 2008, the Headquarters Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year in 2014, the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy Tomich Award in 2016 and the Headquarters Air Force Flight Standards Agency Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award in 2017.
Hoover attributes a lot of her success as an Airman to her time as an air traffic controller.
“Thinking back to that career field, [it] taught me a lot of skills that have carried me through to where I am today,” said Hoover. “It taught me how to communicate, how to prioritize, how to work through hard situations and come out on the other side of them.”
According to the Interactive Demographics Analysis System, as of July the rank of Chief Master Sgt. makes up less than one percent of the total active-duty service members within the Air Force. With the number of Chief’s at approximately 2,500, only 20 percent are female.
“I’m a small percentage of Chiefs, and there are not a whole lot of female command chiefs in general,” said Hoover. “I do think it’s important to be active, visible leaders [who] inspire Airmen who might think they can’t to do something, and to be that person that can set the example or show them that really, anything is possible.”
