459th ARW welcomes new command chief

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sasha S. Skrine
  • 459th ARW Public Affairs Office
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. --  "Hi there," Chief Master Sgt. Clifford Van Yahres calls out in his Long Island accent to passing troops as he walks the halls of the 459th Air Refueling Wing. With more than two decades of experience and having only been assigned to Andrews two months ago, the Chief sees quite a bit of old faces and a slew of new ones too. 

"I'm not here to sit behind a desk," said Chief Van Yahres.  "In this Post-9/11 society, we are the operational Reserve, no longer on the shelf, and it's important that the enlisted force in the 459th know that I am here 100 percent for them."

In his position as the highest ranking enlisted member, Chief Van Yahres is responsible for the morale and well being of the enlisted force of the more than 1300 Airmen assigned to the 459th.

"I am here to take care of the enlisted force and their families," Chief Van Yahres said. "Our people are our greatest asset."

At the second quarter commander's call, Colonel Tim Cahoon, commander of the 459th ARW took a few moments to introduce the chief to the reservists gathered. 

"Chief Van Yahres is highly experienced, and we are happy to welcome him as a member of the 459th family," said Col. Cahoon. 

Having served as command chief at two previous bases, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. and Pope Air Force Base, N.C., Chief Van Yahres is not a stranger to the responsibilities of the command chief position.

The chief said he gladly accepted the opportunity to be the command chief at the 459th because he enjoys being active in the day-to-day mission, and he looks forward to using his experience and position to make improvements.

"I hope to bring a renewed emphasis on the awards program," Chief Van Yahres said. "The awards and decorations are important and give the troops a sense of pride that carries over into other aspects of their life."

Chief Van Yahres was born in Rockville Centre, N.Y. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1975 and attended Air Cargo School at Sheppard Air Force Base, Tex. After his active duty tour in 1977, he attended the State University of New York at Farmingdale and Cornell University where he earned a bachelor's degree in ornamental horticulture.

In 1984, Chief Van Yahres entered the Air Force Reserve and started his career as a Reservist as an aerial port specialist at Willow Grove Air Reserve Station. In January 2004, he was mobilized and assigned to the 436th Aerial Port Squadron, Dover AFB, Del., then forward deployed to Kuwait and Germany in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as an air freight superintendent. 

"It was during my time as a troop commander during the activation at Dover AFB when I was first responsible for the morale, health, and welfare of a 28-man team and at that time I knew that serving as a first sergeant or command chief was a goal I hoped to achieve," Chief Van Yahres explained.

In the civilian world, Chief Van Yahres has been employed by Lower Merion Township for 25 years and resides in Montgomery County, PA with his wife, Erin and their two children.