Chief Master Sergeant Troy E. Brawner is the Wing Command Chief, 167th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard, Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport-Shepherd Field, Martinsburg, West Virginia. He is the principal advisor to the commander and his senior staff on matters of health, welfare and morale, professional development, and the effective utilization of more than 900 enlisted personnel assigned to the wing. He is also the functional manager of the First Sergeant Program, administering the program for the Wing Commander. He maintains close relationships with commanders, Chief Master Sergeants, First Sergeants, the Airman and Family Programs Coordinator and other senior leaders to advise them on the care of Airmen and their families.
Chief Brawner enlisted in the West Virginia Air National Guard on April 18, 1989. After graduating from air transportation school he was assigned to the 167th Aerial Port Squadron as an air transportation specialist. In 1990 the Chief deployed to Shaw Air Force Base in support of Operation DESERT STORM/DESERT SHIELD. He has prepared and participated in several unit operational readiness inspections and compliance inspection as well as other home station training events such as the unit self-assessment. He deployed in 2004 and again in 2005 in support of operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM. In 2007, Chief Brawner deployed to Charleston AFB, South Carolina, where he assisted with the transport of specialized vehicles to the battlefield in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The chief served as the logistics action officer during a special assignment with Headquarters Air Combat Command where he was instrumental to the rapid fielding of the MC-12W Project Liberty aircraft, one of the Air Force’s newest weapons systems. He was called to serve again in 2011, deploying to Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Chief Brawner has held numerous managerial and engineering positions with a Fortune 500 company over the last 20 years. Specializing in lean manufacturing, he has implemented numerous new production processes and directed many successful efforts in lean manufacturing. The Chief has also held various positions in air transportation at the 167th Airlift Wing throughout his career. Prior to his current position, Chief Brawner was the chief of operations for the 167th Deployment and Distribution Flight.
EDUCATION
1989 U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
1989 U.S. Air Force Air Transportation Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
1993 Noncommissioned Officer Preparatory Military Course, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
1994 Associate of Applied Science Degree, Transportation Management, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
1994 Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, Towson University, Md.
1999 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Lackland AFB, Texas
2003 Masters of Business Administration, Frostburg State University, Md.
2004 Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt, Villanova University, Pa.
2007 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
2012 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1989 – September 1989, Student, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. September 1989 – October 1989, Student, Technical Training School, Shepherd AFB, Texas
3. October 1989 – November 1993, Air Transportation Specialist, Aerial Port Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
4. November 1993 – April 1997, Ramp Supervisor, Aerial Port Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
5. April 1997 – February 2005, Terminal Services Supervisor, Aerial Port Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
6. February 2005 – August 2007, Air Transportation Standardization Evaluation Supervisor, Aerial Port Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
7. August 2007 – April 2008, Duty Officer, 437th Aerial Port Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
8. April 2008 – May 2009, Supervisor, Air Terminal Operation Center, Small Air Terminal, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
9. May 2009 – August 2009, Logistics Action Officer, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
10. August 2009 – October 2011, Supervisor, Terminal Services, Logistics Readiness Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
11. October 2011 – May 2012, Superintendent, Aerial Port Flight, Kandahar AB, Afghanistan
12. May 2012 – September 2016, Terminal Services Supervisor, Logistics Readiness Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
13. September 2016 – August 2018, Superintendent, Mission Support Group, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
14. September 2018 – April 2019, Chief of Operations, Deployment and Distribution Flight, Logistics Readiness Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
15. April 2019 – Present, Wing Command Chief, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
West Virginia Achievement Ribbon
West Virginia Emergency Service Ribbon
West Virginia State Service Ribbon
West Virginia Service Ribbon with three oak leaf clusters
West Virginia National Guard Minuteman Ribbon
West Virginia Distinguished Unit Award
West Virginia Humanitarian Service Ribbon
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1993 West Virginia Air National Guard Outstanding Airman of the Year - Airman Category
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Enlisted Association of the National Guard
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman Basic, April 18, 1989
Airman, January 22, 1990
Airman First Class, August 10, 1990
Senior Airman, March 8, 1991
Staff Sergeant, April 22, 1994
Technical Sergeant, December 12, 2002
Master Sergeant, August 1, 2006
Senior Master Sergeant, February 27, 2012
Chief Master Sergeant, September 8, 2016
(Current as of April 2019)