Chief Master Sgt. William G. Ford is the current Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 80th Flying Training Wing, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. He is the chief enlisted advisor to the Commander of the 80th Flying Training Wing for all matters concerning morale, welfare, utilization, training, and professional development of assigned personnel. The wing is responsible for conducting the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training mission. This program is the world’s only internationally manned and managed Undergraduate Pilot Training Program and includes participants from fourteen NATO nations: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
Chief Ford is from Nichols, South Carolina. He began his Air Force career in May 1999 as a tactical aircraft maintainer. Chief Ford served in a special duty assignment as an Airman & Family Readiness Center Readiness NCOIC. His career has had a myriad of leadership and managerial opportunities and challenges allowing him to lead in multiple maintenance groups, a mission support group, and two operations groups. Chief Ford also served overseas in the Republic of Korea and has deployed six times in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel, Inherent Resolve, Resolute Support, and the Combined Defense of the Arabian Gulf.
Prior to assuming his current position, Chief Ford successfully served as the senior enlisted leader for the 23rd Fighter Group "Flying Tigers", 23rd Wing, Moody AFB, Georgia.
EDUCATION​
2002 Airman Leadership School, Pope AFB, North Carolina
2010 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Tyndall AFB, Florida
2010 Associate's Degree, Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2012 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Professional Military Education Correspondence Source
2013 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education I Correspondence Course
2015 Airman & Family Readiness Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2015 Professional Manager's Certificate, CCAF, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama
2015 Associate's Degree, Human Relations, CCAF
2016 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama
2017 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II Correspondence Course
2019 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama
2020 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation Course, Judge Advocate General's School, Virtual Course
2021 Command Chief Master Sergeants Training Course, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 1999 – February 2001, Assistant Dedicated Crew Chief, 357th Fighter Squadron, Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona
2. February 2001 – February 2002, Dedicated Crew Chief, 25th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, Korea
3. February 2002 – October 2005, Dedicated Crew Chief, 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Pope AFB, North Carolina
(May – October 2005, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
4. October 2005 – January 2008, Repair & Reclamation Craftsman, 23d Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Pope AFB, North Carolina
(January – May 2007, 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Al Assad AB, Iraq)
5. January 2008 – October 2011, Flight Line Expediter, 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody AFB, Georgia
(February – August 2009, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
(March – October 2011, 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Kandahar AB, Afghanistan)
6. October 2011 – November 2013, Aircraft Section Chief, 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody AFB, Georgia
(March – October 2013, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
7. November 2013 – October 2014, Production Superintendent, 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody AFB, Georgia
8. October 2014 – December 2017, Readiness NCOIC, Airman & Family Readiness Center, 23rd Force Support Squadron, Moody AFB, Georgia
9. December 2017 – July 2019, Superintendent, 12th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Cannon AFB, New Mexico
10, July 2019 – June 2022, Senior Enlisted Leader, 23rd Fighter Group, Moody AFB, Georgia
(October 2021 – April 2022, 380th Expeditionary Operations Group, Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates)
11. June 2022 – Present, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 80th Fighter Training Wing, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, Sheppard AFB, Texas
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with 6 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS​
1999 Distinguished Graduate, Tactical Aircraft Maintenance School
2001 Senior Airman Below-the-Zone
2005 4th Fighter Wing, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Thomas Barnes Crew Chief of the Year
2010 Distinguished Graduate, Airey NCO Academy
2013 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Senior NCO Maintenance Professional of the Year
2013 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Senior NCO of the Year
2016 23rd Force Support Squadron, Team of the Year
2016 23rd Force Support Squadron, Senior NCO of the Year
2016 23rd Wing, Volunteer of the Year
2017 9th Air Force, Airman & Family Readiness Flight of the Year
2017 9th Air Force, General Billy J. Boles Mentorship Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant October 1, 2018
(Current as of June 2022)