Chief Master Sergeant Ronnie J. Woods is the Command Chief Master Sergeant of Eighth Air Force and the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center (J-GSOC) at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. He is responsible to the commander for the combined total force integration, utilization, readiness, assignment, morale and welfare of more than 24,000 joint warfighters across six installations, and proudly operating more than 150 E-4, B-1, B-2, B-52, and T-38 aircraft. The “Mighty Eighth” is the numbered Air Force responsible for the DoD’s entire bomber force, 608th Air Operations Center, Joint-Nuclear Operations Center, Standoff Munitions Application Center and National Airborne Operations Center. The J-GSOC is the primary organization supporting the commander and is also the warfighting air component to U.S. Strategic Command. The J-GSOC serves as the primary command and control center for all operations within Air Force Global Strike Command.
Chief Woods entered the Air Force from Chicago, Illinois in 1997. He graduated from the Security Forces Apprentice course at Lackland Air Force Base in February 1998. In 2010, Chief Woods retrained into the Command and Control Battle Management Operations career field. His experience includes various duties at the unit, wing and Component Numbered Air Force levels encompassing numerous tactical and operational leadership roles. He has led teams in daily operational campaign Air Tasking Order execution, strategic bomber planning and execution, and tactical command and control battle management in support of the Korea Theatre of Operations. His assignments includes bases in Montana, Illinois, South Carolina, Qatar, Louisiana, South Korea, Arizona and Japan. Additionally, Chief Woods has deployed in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, and INHERENT RESOLVE.
Prior to assuming his current position, he served as the Command Chief of the 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan.
EDUCATION
2003 Airman Leadership School, Malmstrom AFB, MT
2011 Associate of Applied Science Degree, Criminal Justice, Community College of the Air Force
2011 USAF Noncommissioned Officer Academy, McGee-Tyson AB, TN
2011 Associate of Arts in Accounting Degree, American Military University 2012 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy Correspondence Course
2013 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, National Defense University
2013 Associate of Applied Science Degree, Aerospace Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2013 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2013 Bachelor of Arts, Organizational Management, Ashford University
2015 USAF Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell-Gunter Annex, AL
2015 Advanced Nuclear Concepts, Kirtland AFB, NM
2016 Masters of Business Administration, Ohio Christian University
2018 Chief Leadership Academy, Maxwell-Gunter Annex, AL
2019 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II, National Defense University
2019 Command Chief Master Sergeant Training Course, Andrews AFB, MD
2020 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, NC
2020 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2020 Impact Immersive Experience, Virtual Course
2022 Keystone – National Defense University, Ft McNair, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1997 – February 2003, Flight Security Controller, Malmstrom AFB, MT
2. February 2003 – February 2004, Law Enforcement Patrolman, 8th Security Forces Squadron, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
3. February 2004 – October 2010, Desk Sergeant/Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Security Forces Armory,
375th Security Forces Squadron, Scott AFB, IL. (October 2005 – April 2006, Special Housing Unit Non
Commissioned Officer in Charge, Camp Bucca, Iraq; August 2006 – April 2007, Base Defense Operations Center
Controller, Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan; October 2009 – May 2010, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Host Nation Training, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait)
4. October 2010 – September 2013, Superintendent of Training, Detachment 1, 609th Air Operations Center, Shaw
AFB, SC (December 2011 – July 2012, Senior Air Defense Officer Technician, Al Udeid AB, Qatar; October 2012 – December 2012, Senior Offensive Duty Officer Technician, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
5. September 2013 – October 2014, Superintendent, Combat Operations Division, 609th Air Operations Center, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
6. October 2014 – April 2016, Operations Enlisted Manager, 608th Air Operations Center, Barksdale AFB, LA
7. May 2016 – June 2017, Squadron Superintendent, 621st Air Control Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of South Korea
8. June 2017 – July 2019, Chief Enlisted Manager, 607th Air Control Squadron, Luke AFB, AZ
9. July 2019 – May 2020, Superintendent, 375th Operations Group, Scott AFB, IL (Jan 20 – May 20, Interim Command Chief, 375th Air Mobility Wing)
10. May 2020 – June 2021, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
11. August 2021 – March 2023, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan
12. March 2023 – Present, Command Chief, Eighth Air Force & Senior Enlisted Leader, J-GSOC, Barksdale AFB, LA
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2009 375th Security Forces Squadron Outstanding Staff NCO of the Year, Scott AFB, IL
2009 375th Mission Support Group NCO of the Year, Scott AFB, IL
2009 375th Air Mobility Wing Lance P. Sijan Nominee., Scott AFB, IL
2011 Commandant Leadership Award, NCO Academy
2011 United States Air Forces Central Command Outstanding NCO of the Year, Shaw AFB, SC
2012 609th Air Operations Center C2 Battle Management SNCO of the Year, Shaw AFB, SC
2013 609th Air Operations Center Lance P. Sijan Nominee, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
2013 United States Air Forces Central Command Outstanding SNCO of the Year, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
2014 Air Force Global Strike Command, C2 Battle Management SNCO of the Year, Barksdale AFB, LA
2015 Distinguished Graduate, SNCO Academy
2015 8th Air Forces Outstanding SNCO of the Year, Barksdale AFB, LA
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant 1 Dec 2017
(Current as of Sept 2023)