Chief Master Sergeant Joey R. Meininger

Chief Master Sergeant Joey R. Meininger is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida. He is the primary advisor to the Commander on all issues affecting the health, welfare, morale, training, development, and utilization of more than 4,000 enlisted Airmen. The wing's mission includes planning, posturing, and executing precision strike, specialized mobility and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The wing employs more than 70 aircraft, including the AC-130U, AC-130J, MC-130H, CV- 22B, U-28A, PC-12 and MQ-9. These capabilities support a variety of special operations missions including direct action, unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, personnel recovery, psychological operations and information operations.

Chief Master Sergeant Meininger grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He entered the United States Air Force as a Firefighter on 24 August 1999. After completing basic training and his technical course at Goodfellow AFB, Texas, he began his career at Hurlburt Field, Florida as a Fire Protection Apprentice. While assigned there he deployed six times in support of various expeditionary operations. Subsequently, he has been assigned to assignments within USAFE/AFAFRICA, AMC and PACAF. Prior to his current position, he served as the Command Chief Master Sergeant, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan.

EDUCATION
2004 Airman Leadership School, Hurlburt Field, Florida
2008 Associate of Applied Science, Fire Science, Community College of the Air Force
2010 Noncommissioned Officer’s Academy, Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida
2011 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Course, Joint Forces Staff College
2011 Senior Noncommissioned Officer’s Academy (correspondence)
2013 Bachelors of Science Degree in Fire Science, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi Md
2014 Air Force Institute of Technology Civil Engineer Superintendent Course, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2014 Air Force Institute of Technology Fire & Emergency Services Superintendent Course, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 2015 Senior Noncommissioned Officers Academy, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Ala.
2015 Masters of Science, Emergency Services Management, Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, Ala.
2018 Chiefs Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Ala.
2020 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2021 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
2021 Air Force Leading Strategically Program, Center for Creative Leadership

ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1999 – March 2000, 312th Training Squadron, Fire Protection, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
2. March 2000 – October 2010, Fire Protection Apprentice/Journeyman/Craftsman, 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida (Sep 2000 – Dec 2000, Firefighter, 363rd ECES Prince Sultan Air Base (AB) Saudi Arabia / Mar 2002 – Jun 2002, Driver Operator, 405th ECES, Thumrait AB, Oman / Jun 2003 – Nov 2003, Crew Chief, 320th ECES Shahbaz AB, Pakistan / Sep 2005 – Jan 2006, Crew Chief, 447th ECES, Sather AB, Baghdad, Iraq / Jan 2008 – May 2008 Station Caption, 379th ECES, Al Udeid AB, Qatar / Sep 2009 – Jan 2010, 332nd ECES, District Chief, Balad AB, Iraq)
3. October 2010 – August 2012, Assistant Fire Chief, 886th Civil Engineer Squadron, Ramstein AFB, Germany
4. August 2012 – August 2014, Fire and Emergency Services Program Manager, HQ’s USAFE/AFAFRICA, Ramstein AFB, Germany
5. August 2014 – May 2017, Deputy Fire Chief / Fire Chief, 354th Civil Engineer Squadron, Eielson AFB, Alaska
6. May 2017 – October 2018, Squadron Superintendent/Fire Chief, 6th Civil Engineer Squadron, MacDill AFB, Florida
7. October 2018 – October 2019, Installation Fire Chief, 51st Civil Engineer Squadron, Osan AFB, Korea
8. October 2019 – July 2020, Installation Fire Chief, 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida
9. July 2020 – June 2022, Command Chief, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan
10. June 2022 – Present, Command Chief, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2006 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron NCO of the Year
2007 AFSOC Fire Officer of the Year
2009 AFSOC Fire Officer or the Year
2010 Distinguished Graduate, Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2011 886th Civil Engineer Squadron SNCO of the Year
2012 Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Europe Outstanding Firefighter of the Year
2014 Distinguished Graduate, Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2015 11th Air Force SNCO of the Year
2016 PACAF (Med) Fire Department of the Year
2017 AMC (Med) Fire Department of the Year
2018 AMC/PACAF (Med) Fire Department of the Year runner-up

EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant December 2016


(Current as of July 2022)