Chief Master Sergeant Melissa Riener serves as the Command Chief for the 501st Combat Support Wing, Royal Air Force Fairford Air, United Kingdom. She advises the wing commander on all issues affecting combat readiness, professional development and effective utilization of 2,000 Airmen serving one wing with two groups, 14 squadrons, and 17 wing staff agencies. The 501st serves a community of more than 14,000 personnel spread across ten installations. Additionally, the wing supports mission partners from the NATO Joint Warfare Center, US European Command, US Africa Command, NATO Intelligence Fusion Center, Air Force Global Strike Command, and nearly 65 other US military and government agencies throughout the United Kingdom, Norway and Cyprus
Chief Riener was born in Redding, CA and entered the Air Force on 9 July 2002. She served as an Airborne Mission Systems Operator until 2019, amassing more than 3000 flying hours. She then cross trained to the Personnel career field where she has held positions as the Military Personnel Flight Chief and Squadron Senior Enlisted Leader. Her assignments include bases in Oklahoma, California, Turkiye, Virginia and Washington. She has also deployed overseas in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Operation NEW DAWN and Counter Drug Operations. Before assuming her current position, she served as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the 92nd Mission Support Group, Fairchild Air Force Base.
EDUCATION
2006 Airman Leadership School, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
2011 Associate's degree, Space Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2013 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Lackland AFB, Texas
2014 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, by correspondence
2016 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2020 Associate’s degree, Human Resource Management, Community College of the Air Force
2020 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2020 Bachelor’s Degree, Sports and Health Sciences, American Military University
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. July 2002 – August 2002, Basic Military Trainee, Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), Texas
2. March 2003 – August 2004, E-3 Air Surveillance Technician Student, 552d Training Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
3. August 2004 – February 2007 E-3 Air Surveillance Technician, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
4. Feb 2007 – Aug 2008, Tactical Scheduler, 552d Operations Support Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
5. Aug 2008 – Nov 2010, Evaluator Air Surveillance Technician, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
6. Nov 2010 – Jun 2011, Senior Surveillance Technician, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
7. Jun 2011 – May 2012, MC-12W Sensor Operator, Detachment 9, Beale AFB, California
8. May 2012 – Nov 2015, Flight Chief, 427th Reconnaissance Squadron Beale AFB, California
9. Nov 2015 – May 2016, E-3 Senior Surveillance Technician Student, 552d Training Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
10. May 2016 – Aug 2016, Flight Chief, 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
11. Aug 2016 – Aug 2018, Operations Superintendent, 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
12. Aug 2018 – Oct 2019, Superintendent, Group Inspections and Improvements, 552d Operations Group, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
13. Oct 2019 - May 2020, Superintendent, Military Personnel Flight Operations, 633d Force Support Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia
14. May 2020 – July 2022, Military Personnel Flight Chief, 633d Force Support Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia
15. July 2022 – Feb 2023, Senior Enlisted Leader, 39th Force support Squadron, Incirlik AB, Turkiye
16. Feb 2023 – July 2024, Senior Enlisted Leader, 39th Mission Support Group, Incirlik AB, Turkiye
17. July 2024 – July 2025, Senior Enlisted Leader, 92nd Mission Support Group, Fairchild AFB, Washington
18. July 2025 – Current, Command Chief, 501st Combat Support Wing, RAF Fairford, United Kingdom
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal with thirteen Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 Honor Graduate Award, Air Surveillance Technician 3-Level, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma 2011 Honor Graduate Award, Sensor Operator Training, Beale AFB, California
2012 Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 427th RS, Beale AFB, California
2015 Henry “Red” Erwin Outstanding Enlisted Aircrew Member of the Year, 9 Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB, California 2018 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 965th AACS, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
2019 Wilma Vaught Visionary Leadership Award, 552 Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
2020 Distinguished Graduate Award, Senior Noncommission Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant 1 November 2021.
(May 2026)