Chief Master Sergeant Michael J. Venning is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom. He is the senior enlisted advisor to the 100th ARW commander on issues affecting the health, welfare, morale, training, development and utilization of more than 3,000 enlisted Airmen. The 100th ARW is responsible for conducting air refueling and combat support operations throughout the European and African area of responsibility. Additionally, the 100th ARW supports four USAF MAJCOM flying programs and more than 16,800 military civilians, dependents and retiree personnel to include United States Air Forces in Europe-United Kingdom, the 501st Combat Support Wing, 352nd Special Operations Wing, U.S. Army and five other partner units.
Chief Venning is from Melbourne, Australia. After moving to the United States in 1994, he entered the Air Force in May of 2000 and received his U.S. citizenship in 2005. He served six years in a combat communications unit as a power production specialist, with many temporary duties and deployments around the country and in the Middle East. In 2006, Chief Venning retrained into the contracting career field and spent 11 years in various NCOIC, squadron Superintendent, and MAJCOM staff positions, in addition to being warranted as a contracting officer. Before assuming his current position, Chief Venning was the Superintendent for the 422nd Air Base Group, Royal Air Force Croughton, United Kingdom.
Chief Venning has deployed four times in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and NEW DAWN.
EDUCATION
2003 Airman Leadership School, Tinker AFB, Okla.
2008 Associate degree in Mechanical & Electrical Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2009 Associate degree in Contracts Management, Community College of the Air Force
2011 NCO Academy, McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn.
2011 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education I, Correspondence Course
2013 SNCO Academy, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2014 Bachelor of Science in Organizational & Human Resource Mgmt, Colorado Christian University, Colo.
2015 Acquisition Professional Development Program, Contracting Level III Certification
2016 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II, Correspondence Course
2018 Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2021 Command Chief Master Sergeant Training Course, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2000 – September 2006, Power Production Crew Member/NCOIC, 33rd Combat CommunicationsSquadron, Tinker AFB, Okla. (July 03 – Aug 03, Power Production Specialist, 5th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron, Kuwait CityInternational Airport, Kuwait) (Feb 04 – July 04, Power Production NCOIC, 5th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron, Kuwait CityInternational Airport, Kuwait)
2. September 2006 – December 2009, NCOIC/Construction Contracting Officer, 21st Contracting Squadron,Peterson AFB, Colo. (Dec 09 – July 10, Contingency Contracting Officer, Joint Contracting Command Iraq/Afghanistan, Baghdad,Iraq)
3. July 2010 – November 2010, Base Support Contracting Officer, 21st Contracting Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
4. November 2010 – September 2012, Superintendent, 770th Business Support Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (Dec 12 – June 13, J-3 Operations Superintendent, CENTCOM Joint Theater Support Contracting Command,Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar)
5. September 2012 – June 2013, AFMC Contracting Command Training Manager, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. June 2013 – April 2014, AFMC Contracting Functional Area Manager, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. May 2014 – August 2017, Superintendent, 673d Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson,Alaska
8. September 2017 – July 2020, Commandant, Elmendorf PME Center, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
9. July 2020 – September 2021, Superintendent, 422d Air Base Group, RAF Croughton, United Kingdom
10. September 2021 – present, Command Chief, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster AF Commendation Medal
AF Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon with bronze service star
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2003 John L. Levitow Award, Airman Leadership School
2011 John L. Levitow Award, NCO Academy
2011 Enterprise Sourcing Group SNCO of the Year
2012 AFMC Contingency Contracting Officer of the Year
2013 Distinguished Graduate, SNCO Academy
2013 Commandant’s Leadership Award, SNCO Academy
2013 AFMC Contracting SNCO of the Year
2013 AFMC SNCO of the Year
2014 United States Air Force 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year
2016 PACAF Contracting Superintendent of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant, 1 September 2017
(Current as of September 2021)