Chief Master Sergeant LEROY McCARDELL JR.

Chief Master Sergeant LeRoy E. McCardell Jr. is the Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 131st Bomb Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The 131st Bomb Wing is a classic associate unit with the 509th Bomb Wing and is equipped with the B-2 Spirit. He is responsible to the 131st Bomb Wing commander on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale and proper utilization and progress of the wing's enlisted personnel. He additionally serves as the functional manager for the wing’s group superintendents and first sergeants and an advisor to the Junior Enlisted, First Sergeant, and Chief's Councils.

Chief McCardell entered the Air Force in 1988 as an Aircraft Electro-Environmental and Electrical Maintenance technician where he participated in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm with the 416th Bomb Wing, Griffiss AFB, New York. During these operations, he planned and executed humanitarian and combat operations in support of national interests in the Middle East and Southwest Asia before returning to the Middle East much later to serve a tour at Eskan Village, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After 10 years on active duty, he served in the Air Force Reserve as a Ground Radio Maintenance and Civil Engineer Electrical Systems apprentice, and as a vehicle operator. In 2007, he transitioned to the Florida Air National Guard as a Knowledge Operations Management Craftsman. Chief McCardell was a key National Guard advisor to civil authorities supporting the U.S. government’s response to both the 2010 Haitian earthquake and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Prior to his current position, the chief master sergeant served as the Superintendent, 131st Mission Support Group, 131st Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri.

EDUCATION
1989 Aircraft Electrician Specialist Course, Chanute AFB, Ill.
1993 Airman Leadership School, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
2000 Associate Degree, Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
2004 Computer, Network, Cryptographic and Switching Systems Course, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2006 Associate Degree, Electronic Systems Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
2008 Information Management Apprentice Course, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2008 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
2009 Associate Degree, Information Resource Management and Information Systems Management, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
2011 Senior Enlisted Joint PME, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2012 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
2014 Contemporary Base Issues Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2014 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2015 Defense Support of Civil Authorities Phase II Certification, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, N.C.
2016 Continuous Process Improvement Senior Leader Course, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2016 Green Belt Certification Training, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2016 Leadership Challenge Program II, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2018 Air Force Global Strike Command Superintendent Course, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
2018 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation Course, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
2018 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS
August 1988–September 1988, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
September 1988–January 1989, Student, Aircraft Electrician Specialist Course, Chanute AFB, Ill.
January 1989–November 1992, KC-135/B-52 Electro-Environmental Specialist, 416th Bomb Wing, Griffiss AFB, N.Y.; (January 1991–May 1991, Electro-Environmental Specialist, 4300th Provisional Bombardment Wing, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, U.K.)
November 1992–November 1993, U-2 Electro-Environmental Journeyman, Det. 2, 9th Wing, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
November 1993–January 1996, KC-10 Electro-Environmental Journeyman, 711th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
January 1996–September 1998, F-15 Electro-Environmental Journeyman, 333rd Fighter Sq., Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
September 1998–August 1999, Electrical Systems Apprentice, 916th Civil Engineering Sq., Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
August 1999–July 2002, Vehicle Operator, 916th Transportation Sq., Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
July 2002–August 2003, Inactive Ready Reserve
August 2003–April 2005, Ground Radio Maintenance Helper, 716th Communications Flight, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
April 2005–November 2007, Computer Maintenance Technician, 916th Communications Sq., Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
November 2007–March 2010, Knowledge Operations Management Craftsman, 601st Air Operations Center, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
March 2010–September 2012, NCOIC, Client Systems, 601st Air Operations Center, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
October 2012–January 2015, Commander’s Action Group Superintendent, 1st Air Force Headquarters, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
January 2015–November 2017, Command Staff Superintendent and Staff Senior Enlisted Leader, 1st Air Force Headquarters, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
November 2017–September 2020, Superintendent, 131st Mission Support Group, 131st Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
September 2020–Present, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 131st Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2009 Communication and Information Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Air National Guard
2010 Outstanding Cyberspace Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 601st Air Operations Center, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2011 Outstanding Cyberspace Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Air National Guard
2014 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 1st Air Force, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2014 Continental NORAD Region Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Tyndall AFB, Fla.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Air Force Association
Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman First Class Aug. 3, 1988
Senior Airman Dec. 3, 1990
Staff Sergeant March 1, 2000
Technical Sergeant July 1, 2007
Master Sergeant July 10, 2009
Senior Master Sergeant Oct. 23, 2012
Chief Master Sergeant Nov. 8, 2017

(Current as of January 2022)