Richard D. Kisling
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (1923-1985)

Richard D. Kisling (November 22, 1923 – November 3, 1985) was a senior airman of the United States Air Force who served as the 3rd Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force from 1971 to 1973.
Richard Kisling served in the US Army from 1944 to 47.
Military career
Kisling entered the United States Army in July 1944 and served overseas in the European area of World War II with the 3rd Infantry Division and 88th Infantry Division. In April 1947, he re-enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and was assigned to the Mobile Training Unit, Chanute Field, Illinois. When the United States Air Force became a separate military service in 1947, he transferred to the Air Force and was in the personnel field during most of his subsequent career. In May 1948, he transferred to Hamilton Air Force Base, California, where he served as a personnel clerk, enlisted branch, Headquarters 4th Air Force. He was assigned to the 1261st Air Transport Squadron, Tripoli, Libya, in April 1950 and served as first sergeant.
Kisling returned to the United States in April 1952 and was assigned as first sergeant of the 1707th Food Service Squadron, Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida. In October 1952 he transferred to Amarillo, Texas, as first sergeant and personnel sergeant major with the 1739th Ferrying Squadron. In February 1954, Kisling was assigned to the Southwest Recruiting District, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Richard D. Kisling” as chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (1923-1985). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (1923-1985). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7325043. The first chronological checks are 1923, 1985, 1971 and 1973.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Richard D. Kisling”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Richard D. Kisling primary sources, Richard D. Kisling archive and Richard research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Richard D. Kisling”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Richard D. Kisling” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.