Chief Master Sergeant Joshua R. Tidwell is the Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 48th Fighter Wing Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. As the wing's senior enlisted leader, Chief Tidwell serves as the primary advisor to the commander on matters concerning mission effectiveness and the readiness, training, health, welfare and morale of all assigned personnel, including 28 Chief Master Sergeants and fourteen First Sergeants. As USAFE’s Premier Fighter Wing, 48th Fighter is the only wing in the Air Force with an official name, the “Statue of Liberty Wing” as a secondary designation. The Liberty Wing consists of over 5,000 active-duty personnel, 1,000 British and U.S. civilians, and includes a geographically-separated unit at nearby RAF Feltwell. The 48th Fighter Wing employs four combat-ready squadrons of dual capable F-15E Strike Eagle and F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft.
Chief Tidwell was raised in Pell City, Alabama. After graduation from Pell City High School, he left home on February 24, 1999 for Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. There, he attended Basic Military Training followed by the Air Transportation Apprentice Course from which he graduated in May 1999. After his formative years as a “Port Dawg”, Chief Tidwell has worked in various capacities at the combatant command, group, and squadron level including eight deployments in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM.
Prior to this assignment, Chief Tidwell served as the Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
EDUCATION
2001 Airman Leadership School, Kapaun Air Station, Germany
2005 Associate of Applied Science, Business Management, Community College of the Air Force
2006 Noncomissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB, Gunter Annex, Ala.
2008 Professional Manager’s Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2011 Air Force Senior Noncomissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB, Gunter Annex, Ala.
2011 First Sergeant Academy, Maxwell AFB, Gunter Annex, Ala.
2011 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Course, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2012 Associate of Applied Science, Human Resources Management, Community College of the Air Force
2016 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB, Gunter Annex, Ala.
2017 Enlisted Professional Military Education Instructor Course, Gunter AFB, Ala.
2019 Command Chief Master Sergeants Training Course, Bolling AFB, Washington D.C.
2019 Bachelor of Science Degree, Psychology – Life Coaching, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va.
2019 Transnational Issues, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2020 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Course II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2020 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation, The Judge Advocate General’s School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2020 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Co.
2022 Eurasia Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2022 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2023 Artificial Intelligence for National Security Leaders, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge Mass.
2023 Air Force Strategic Leader Course, Maxwell AFB, Gunter Annex, Ala.
2023 Keystone, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1999 – Apr 1999, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
2. April 1999 – May 1999, Trainee, Air Transportation Apprentice Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
3. June 1999 – June 2001, Ramp Services Specialist, 436 Aerial Port Squadron, Dover AFB, Delaware
4. June 2001 – June 2003, Passenger Service Specialist, 723 Air Mobility Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
5. June 2003 – October 2005, Combat Readiness Instructor, 20 Logistics Readiness Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
6. October 2005 – July 2011, NCOIC, Airlift Operations, AFCENT Headquarters, Shaw AFB, S.C. (August 2009 – July 2010, Operations Superintendent, 455 Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
7. August 2011 – October 2013, First Sergeant, 1 Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
8. December 2013 – July2014, First Sergeant, 633 Medical Group, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
9. August 2014 – April 2015, First Sergeant, 52 Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
10. April 2015 – August 2016, First Sergeant, 52 Logistics Readiness Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
11. August 2016 – August 2017, Superintendent, 60 Aerial Port Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif.
12. August 2017 – May 2020, Vice Commandant Air Force Senior NCO Academy, Maxwell AFB, Gunter Annex, Ala.
13. May 2020 – June 2022, Command Chief, 366 Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
14. June 2022 – Present, Command Chief, 48 Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England
MAJOR AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Legion of Merit Medal
Bronze Star Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters Army Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2001 Senior Airman Below the Zone
2003 Airman Leadership School John L. Levitow Award
2006 Air Combat Command Airlift/Tanker Association Halvorsen Award
2006 NCO Academy Distinguished Graduate
2008 9th Air Force HQ NCO of the Year
2009 Airlift/Tanker Association 12 Young Leader Award
2011 SNCO Academy John L. Levitow Award
2011 First Sergeant Academy Top Graduate Award
2013 Air Combat Command/First Sergeant of the Year 2012
2015 Maintenance Group First Sergeant of the Year 2014
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman Basic Feb. 25, 1999
Airman Aug. 25, 1999
Airman First Class June 25, 2000
Senior Airman Aug. 25, 2001
Staff Sergeant June 1, 2003
Technical Sergeant July 1, 2006
Master Sergeant July 1, 2009
Senior Master Sergeant March 1, 2012
Chief Master Sergeant March 1, 2016
(Current as of Jan ‘24)