MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Many have heard the title “fire chief,” but few fully understand the scope of responsibility it carries. Charged with ensuring the safety of entire installations, fire chiefs lead Airmen who risk their lives safeguarding life, infrastructure and mission-critical equipment. The role demands not only technical expertise, but also unwavering commitment, strategic leadership and constant readiness.
U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Roger Halle, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) fire chief, exhibits these qualities every day. With nearly 20 years of firefighting experience under his belt, he ensures that 35th CES firefighters are trained and equipped to keep Misawa Air Base safe, no matter what challenges they may face.
As a young man fresh out of high school, Halle first felt drawn to a career in firefighting. He had gone on a church mission trip to California at a time when there were rampant fires. That initial exposure to firefighting piqued his interest. After returning from the trip, Halle spent a year at Brigham Young University before realizing that attending university wasn’t what he wanted. It was at this point he decided to look into becoming a firefighter.
“I googled how to become a firefighter and the Air Force popped up,” said Halle. “I never thought much of the Air Force even though I had both grandpas on both sides serve. So I thought, ‘you know what? I know what I want to do,’ and that’s what drove me to it. I’ve loved it ever since.”
Halle was determined, but his journey as a firefighter wasn’t always smooth. At around the four-year mark in the Air Force, Halle experienced leadership that was less than exemplary. This display of poor leadership negatively affected Halle, leading him to pursue cross training into a different career and to seek a new assignment, with neither yielding any results. It was at this time when morale was low that a new civilian assistant fire chief came in, changing Halle’s outlook and perspective on firefighting and leadership for the better.
“He showed me what it’s like to be a firefighter. He showed me what it’s like to be a leader,” said Halle. “He took us under his wing and he showed us step-by-step what we can do and how we can get better. Before him we would just be yelled at and told we suck at life, whereas he would say ‘let me walk you through this. This is something you did great, these are things you could work on,’ but he slowly walked us through everything and it changed my whole perspective.”
The new assistant fire chief left lessons with Halle that resonated. Stepping into that role himself for the first time, Halle fosters an environment of unit cohesion and respect, ensuring that his firefighters learn the mission-critical skills they need to know in an environment they feel comfortable in and can work as a unified department.
“One thing that people don’t realize is, here in the fire service, we live together,” said Halle. “It isn’t like other jobs where you work together and go home, we actually live here. If you look at the calendar, we’re here at work more times than we are at home. Each person here has a bed they sleep in. We call it a firehouse, because it’s our house, and so having a team that is united is vital for the mission to continue forward.”
Becoming a leader can be difficult, with a sense of responsibility that can seem overwhelming. This was no different for Halle. Halle had only been a Staff Sergeant for about a month when he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010, leading a team of three other Airmen. His team was tasked with establishing Air Force fire departments, working alongside various NATO partners rather than other U.S. forces. In addition to this, they were working in a hostile environment without any combat training. It was in this crucible that Halle first learned what it meant to be a leader.
“One night, we got to one of our locations and we had incoming orders. Enemy forces were attacking the base, and everybody just looked at me and asked ‘what do we do?’” said Halle. “I’m looking around and there’s nobody else. At that moment I knew it’s sink or swim. Well, what do I do? We did the very best we could. We just acted. I think it was at that moment I realized I’m in charge of these individuals’ lives, and for me that was a wake-up call, I need to know what I’m doing before I get someone else really hurt.”
After gaining leadership experience Halle strove for more. He was determined to move up the ranks and make an impact. Fire chief is a position that is typically filled by a Chief Master Sergeant, but when the opportunity arose for Halle to become fire chief at Kadena Air Base as a Senior Master Sergeant, Halle was ready and eager.
“With promotions in the military you have to do the work and put in the effort, but sometimes opportunities line up just right and the stars align,” said Halle. “Then what are you going to do with those opportunities? Being able to say ‘you know what, yes this is a challenge. Yes, this is out of my comfort zone, but I’m going to take them by the horns and go with it.’ That’s been my driving factor.”
After his time at Kadena Air Base, Halle was excited to bring his leadership to a new team of firefighters at Misawa Air Base. For him, each assignment is more than just a new duty location—it’s a chance to make an impact, build trust, and help shape a unified, mission-ready team. In a job that demands constant readiness and strong leadership, Halle remains committed to the principles that first inspired him: take care of your people, keep learning, and lead by example. The qualities Halle instills in his firefighters prepare them to protect personnel and equipment, helping ensure the 35th Fighter Wing remains ready to defend and deter threats across the Indo-Pacific region.