Chief Master Sergeant Michael I. Lampe Warrior ... - Sgt. Mac's Bar

AU/ACSC/8273/AY07
Tactics Pararescumen. Lampe ensured their task and purpose, and validated their employment.
His attention to detail and experience paid off during rehearsals and exponentially multiplied the
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success.
Operation DESERT STORM
As the coalition military geared up for a showdown with Saddam Hussein after his bold
attack on Kuwait, Chief Lampe prepared to execute a daring rescue of the American hostages in
the U.S. embassy. It was during this timeframe, while conducting a mission rehearsal in North
Carolina, that Chief Lampe discovered he had been hired for the USSOCOM Command Chief
position. He had interviewed for the position in October 1990, and thought he slipped out of the
job, but the deputy commander for SOCOM congratulated Lampe on getting hired after
observing the mission rehearsal. Chief Lampe transported Lieutenant General Schneider to the
airfield and asked when he was going to head down to Tampa. Due to the emerging mission
requirements for Operation DESERT STORM, General Stiner allowed Lampe to remain at the
1724 th Special Tactics Squadron for another eight months. Much to the chagrin of Chief Lampe,
the rescue mission never materialized and hostilities ceased in the Iraqi theater of operation,
along with the other significant reason for Lampe not wanting the job, working the plan to
manage the increased unit manpower gains. 65 General Stiner allowed Lampe the time to see
through this manpower project, but time had run out for the Chief.
The Senior Enlisted Advisor (SEA) position was temporarily filled with a part-time Chief
Master Sergeant, which says a lot about General Stiner’s patience to wait for the right Chief. 66
“It’s an honor, but in another aspect, it’s bittersweet,” Chief Lampe said of his new job. “I’ve
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