Chief Master Sergeant Roger A. Towberman serves at the highest enlisted level of leadership, and as such, provides direction for the enlisted force and represents their interests, as appropriate, to the American public and to those in all levels of government. He acts as the personal adviser to the Chief of Space Operations and the Secretary of the Air Force on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, proper utilization and development of the U.S. Space Force. Chief Towberman is the first chief master sergeant appointed to the highest noncommissioned officer position.
Chief Towberman entered the Air Force in September 1990 and his career has included various duties as a ground and airborne cryptologic language and intelligence analyst. Throughout his career, he filled myriad leadership roles at the squadron, group, wing, Numbered Air Force, Major Command and Combatant Command level, while stateside, overseas and deployed. His deployments included supporting Operations Joint Forge, Allied Force, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Unified Protector. As a Career Enlisted Aviator, he logged more than 4,500 flying hours.
He entered the United States Space Force on April 3, 2020.
EDUCATION
1995 Pacific Air Forces Airman Leadership School, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
2002 U.S. Air Forces in Europe Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Kapaun AB, Germany
2002 Joint Advanced Tactical Signals Intelligence Training Program, Naval Strike, Air Warfare Center, Fallon, Nev. 2004 Associate in Communications Application Technology degree, Community College of the Air Force
2006 U.S. Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2009 U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn. 2014 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
September 1990-October 1990, trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
October 1990-December 1991, student, Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, Calif.
January 1992-May 1992, student, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
May 1992-March 1997, Systems Operator and Collection Manager, Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii
March 1997-March 1999, C2 Network Analyst, Kelly AFB, Texas
March 1999-August 2007, Superintendent, Standardization and Evaluations, Flight Chief Airborne Operations, 488th Intelligence Squadron, RAF, Mildenhall, United Kingdom
August 2007-October 2009, Operations Superintendent, 338th Combat Training Sq, Offutt AFB, Neb.
October 2009-July 2010, Operations Superintendent, 488th Intelligence Sq, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
July 2010-August 2011, Superintendent, 488th Intelligence Sq, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
August 2011-May 2013, Superintendent, 55th Electronic Combat Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. (April 2012- November 2012, Superintendent, 455th Expeditionary Operations Group, Bagram, Afghanistan)
May 2013-September 2014, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
September 2014-August 2017, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 25th Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio Lackland, Texas
August 2017-November 2018, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), Pentagon, Washington D.C.
November 2018-December 2019, Command Chief, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
August 2019-August 2020, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
April 2020- Present, Senior Enlisted Advisor of the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Space Force, Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters Air Medal with ten oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with seven oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1995 Distinguished Graduate, Airmen Leadership School
2002 Distinguished Graduate, Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2005 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 488th Intelligence Squadron 2006 Distinguished Graduate, Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2006 Chief Master Sgt. James M. McCoy Academic Achievement Award, Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2006 Air Force Intelligence Awards Program, Active Duty Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 8th Air Force 2007 Airborne Mission Supervisor of the Year, 55th Wing
2007 Electronic Warfare Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 55th Wing
FLIGHT INFORMATION
CEA Status: Master Enlisted Aircrew
Flight Hours: 4,574 including 3,748 combat support hours
Aircraft Flown: RC-135V/W/U
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Senior Enlisted Advisor, United States Space Force April 2020
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force February 2021