Chief Master Sgt. Brent E. Bixby is the senior enlisted leader with the 182nd Operations Group in Peoria, Illinois. He serves as the principal advisor to the operations group commander on matters of health, welfare and morale, professional development and the effective utilization of the enlisted personnel assigned to the group.
Chief Bixby began his military career in 1991 by enlisting in the Illinois Air National Guard as a command and control specialist. He was the first member selected to cross-train to become a tactical air control specialist for the 182nd Air Support Operations Center, subsequently becoming a subject matter expert on Air Support Operations Center employment with-in the air to ground community. Chief Bixby has completed numerous missions and deployments, to include mobilizations to Panama, South Korea, Italy, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. In his final tour to Afghanistan, he served as the senior Joint Terminal Attack Controller in the Afghanistan theater. Chief Bixby crossed trained into the airfield management career field and became the 182nd Airlift Wing airfield manager.
Chief Bixby was selected by his peers to the ANG Airfield Advisory Council, where he served as the vice chairman. He headed a 1-week course held at Volk Field, Wisconsin, where he lead a peer mentor group of airfield managers as they instructed both regular Air Force and ANG airfield managers in contingency operations. Chief Bixby has also worked with the State Partnership Program to create an interoperability between U.S. airfield management and the airfield managers of Illinois’ SPP partner, Poland. He has also employed his expertise in support of hurricane efforts in Puerto Rico. Chief Bixby continues to serve on the base color guard. Prior to his current position, Chief Bixby was the airfield management superintendent with the 182nd Operations Support Squadron, 182nd Airlift Wing, Peoria, Illinois.
EDUCATION
1994 NCO Academy Prep Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
1995 Baccalaureate Degree, Business Administration, Eastern Illinois University
1996 Combat Survival Course, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
1997 Joint Firepower Control Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2002 NCO Academy, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn., by correspondence
2004 USAF Senior NCO Academy, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2004 COMSEC Managers Course, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
2006 Joint Terminal Attack Controller Course, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
2007 Associate Degree, Information Systems Management, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Airfield Management Apprentice Course, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
2011 Advanced Airfield Managers Course, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
2012 Associate Degree, Aviation Management, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 International NCO Leadership Development training program, Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
2021 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, Joint Knowledge Online, Suffolk, Va., by correspondence
2022 CMSgt Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB, Gunter Annex, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1992–September 1996, Command and Control Specialist, 182nd Air Support Operations Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
2. September 1996–November 2007, Tactical Air Command and Control Specialist, 182nd Air Support Operations Squadron, Peoria, Ill. (May 1998–July 1998, Combined Air and Space Center, NATO, Vicenza, Italy; January 2003–June 2003, Joint Terminal Attack Controller, 4th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, Iraq; December 2004–March 2005, Superintendent, Expeditionary Air Support Operation Center, Afghanistan)
3. November 2007–June 2008, Superintendent, 182nd Air Support Operations Group, Peoria, Ill. (January 2008–May 2008, Senior Joint Terminal Attack Controller in Theatre, International Security Assistance Forces, Afghanistan.)
4. June 2008–July 2014, Airfield Management Specialist, 182nd Operations Support Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
5. July 2014–September 2021, Airfield Management Superintendent, 182nd Operations Support Group, Peoria, Ill.
6. September 2021–Present, Senior Enlisted Leader, 182nd Operations Group, Peoria, Ill.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal
Joint Services Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal
STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Illinois State Abraham Lincoln Medal of Freedom
Illinois Military Long and Honorable Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Illinois Military Attendance Ribbon with “15” device
Illinois State Active Duty Service Ribbon
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1991 Command and Control Specialist, Honor Graduate
1994 Outstanding Airman of the Year, 182nd Air Support Operations Squadron
2003 Outstanding NCO of the Year, 182nd Air Support Operations Squadron
2008 Outstanding Senior NCO of the Year, 182nd Air Support Operations Group
2008 Airfield Management Specialist, Distinguished Graduate
2015 Outstanding Senior NCO of the Year, 182nd Operations Support Squadron
2021 Outstanding Senior NCO of the Year, 182nd Airlift Wing
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
National Guard Association of Illinois (lifetime member)
The American Legion
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman Jan. 16, 1992
Airman First Class July 16, 1992
Senior Airman Feb. 6, 1993
Staff Sergeant June 3, 1995
Technical Sergeant April 17, 2001
Master Sergeant Sept. 8, 2003
Senior Master Sergeant March 3, 2018
Chief Master Sergeant Nov. 7, 2021
(CURRENT AS OF JUNE 2022)