Air Force veteran leads Philip Simmons AFJROTC after soaring career

Her crisp U.S. Air Force uniform commanded attention as she sat outside sipping a cold beverage in the warm afternoon sun at the Starbucks on Daniel Island last week. Chances are many of the patrons sitting around her didn’t know what the emblem on the shoulders of her shirt signified — the distinctive three downward pointing silver chevrons outlined in blue above an encircled star in the center.

 

Michelle Siau is a retired Chief Master Sergeant for the Air Force, the branch’s highest enlisted level of leadership. It is an E-9 rank that can only be held by 1% of enlisted personnel at a time. Competition for the title is extremely tight — and the percentage of women who attain the rank is even smaller. 

 

Siau retired from active duty in 2007, after an impressive 22½-year career that included posts at the Pentagon and a deployment to the United Arab Emirates for Operation Enduring Freedom. She also served as an instructor at the Air Force Airmen Leadership School and developed curriculum for Criminal Intelligence Analysis courses. 

 

Now she is continuing to use her top-notch skills and expertise to guide the next generation of leaders as an aerospace science instructor for the Air Force JROTC program at Philip Simmons High School.

 

Two years ago, she and her husband, Bobby, and their two dogs, Bella and Covey, landed on Daniel Island after spending more than a decade in Arizona.

 

“I love having everything so close by,” said Siau, while enjoying the outdoor patio on her recent visit to the Daniel Island Starbucks. “We just bought a golf cart. We can go to the butcher shop, Publix, Starbucks – whatever it might be. It’s very convenient!”

 

While in Arizona, Siau served as an instructor at two AFJROTC programs at area high schools. “There was one female instructor in Arizona — and that was me,” she said.

 

After retiring from her position there, Siau felt a tug to be closer to family and her home town of Fayetteville, North Carolina. And Bobby, a Georgetown native and Citadel graduate, knew the Lowcountry well. Siau reconnected with a friend, Rick Adams, who is a Realtor on Daniel Island, and he helped them find their new home in Edgefield Park.

 

It didn’t take long for Siau to find a niche for her unique talents at Philip Simmons High School. She and retired Lt. Colonel Christopher Ott, senior aerospace science instructor, launched the new AFJROTC program at PSHS in 2020. The program already has a flight simulator and a flight club, and student cadets are getting incredible opportunities. Some are working toward earning their private pilot licenses. The mission of the AFJROTC program is to develop citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community. As someone who has worked hard to achieve her own goals in life, Siau doesn’t take that assignment lightly.

 

“I explain to them, I’ve got a two-year degree, a four-year degree, and a Master’s degree,” she said. “All from the Air Force. I’ve traveled all over the world. I’ve been to third world countries. It makes you appreciate where you come from — and it makes you a better citizen of the United States.”

 

Siau also teaches her students that life is about choices, and it’s OK to make mistakes. 

 

“The biggest thing about a mistake is that you can learn from it,” she said. “It’s about making the right choice and having a positive mindset.”

 

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