CMSgt Louis J. Ludwig is the Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. As the installation host, the 86 AW supports the headquarters for U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, Third Air Force, three tenant wings, and more than 120 mission partners to include the integration and caring for the greater Kaiserslautern Military Community and its 56,000 U.S. service members and their families. The 86 AW is composed of seven groups and 30 squadrons across four bases in Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal. The 86 AW’s mission is to Defend U.S. Interests, Project Power...Enable the Global Gateway. The wing conducts USAFE-AFAFRICA’s only airlift, airdrop, and aeromedical evacuation flying operations, providing rapid mobility and expeditionary combat support. Chief Ludwig is the senior enlisted advisor to the Commander on all aspects of readiness, training, mission effectiveness, resilience, discipline, and development of the force.
Chief Ludwig grew up in Warminster, Pennsylvania and Zephyrhills, Florida and entered the United States Air Force in March 1996. His background includes serving as an Instructor and Evaluator Aircraft Loadmaster with various leadership positions within the operations community in garrison and combat, including MAJCOM A3 Staff, Group Senior Enlisted Leader, and multiple Squadron Senior Enlisted Leader positions. Chief Ludwig also has extensive deployment experience in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, JOINT GUARDIAN, JOINT FORGE, IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, SPARTAN SHIELD, and INHERENT RESOLVE. Prior to his current position, Chief Ludwig was the Command Chief Master Sergeant, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait.
EDUCATION
2000 Airman Leadership School, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
2000 Phoenix Stripe Program, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois.
2002 Associates of Applied Science, Aviation Operations, Community College of the Air Force
2003 Occupational Instructor Certificate, Community College of the Air Force
2003 Associates of Applied Science, Instructor of Technology and Military Science, Community College of the Air Force
2005 Bachelors of Science, Professional Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2009 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Keesler AFB, Mississippi
2011 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, by correspondence
2012 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2013 Senior Enlisted Joint PME, Joint Forces Staff College, by correspondence
2017 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama
2017 Senior Enlisted Joint PME II, Joint Forces Staff College, by correspondence
2018 Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama
2021 Command Chief Master Sergeant Course, Andrews AFB, Maryland
2021 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation, USAF Judge Advocate General’s School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
2022 AFCENT Senior Leader Orientation, Shaw AFB, South Carolina
2022 Senior Leader Security Seminar, Montross, Virginia
2024 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Capital Hill Club, Washington, District of Columbia
ASSIGNMENTS or CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. March 1996 - April 1996, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. December 1996 - April 2000, C-130E/H Instructor Loadmaster, 40th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB Texas
3. May 2000 - February 2004, C-130 DoD FTU Evaluator Loadmaster, 53d Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
4. March 2004 - March 2007, C-130E AWADS Evaluator Loadmaster, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
5. April 2007 - August 2008, C-130H Evaluator Loadmaster, 50th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
6. August 2008 - August 2009, NCOIC Training/Instructor Loadmaster, 41st Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
7. September 2010 - June 2011, C-130J Chief Evaluator Loadmaster, 19th Operations Group, Standardization and Evaluation, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
(January-May 2011, Superintendent/First Sergeant, 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan)
8. July 2011 - June 2014, Career Enlisted Aviator Operations and Training Manager, HQ AFMC Detachment 1, Eglin AFB, FL
9. Jun 2014 - August 2015, Squadron Superintendent, 413th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida
10. August 2015 - July 2018, Squadron Superintendent, 79th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
(July-October 2016, Superintendent, 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, 8th Main Jet Base, Diyarbakir, Turkey)
11. July 2018 – June 2022, Group Senior Enlisted Leader, 347th Rescue Group, Moody AFB, Georgia
(September 2019, Superintendent, 334th Air Expeditionary Group, Patrick AFB, Florida)
(May-November 2020, Superintendent, 1st Expeditionary Rescue Group, Al Asad Air Base, Iraq)
12. July 2022 – July 2023, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait
13. July 2023 – Present, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Chief Enlisted Aircrew/Evaluator Loadmaster
Flight hours: 5,300
Combat hours: 934
Aircraft flown: C-130E/H/J, MC-130E/P/J, AC-130J, HC-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with “C” Device, one silver oak leaf cluster, and one bronze oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf cluster
Air & Space Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
Air & Space Force Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2003 AETC Instructor Loadmaster of the Year, 19th AF, Randolph AFB, Texas
2004 USAFE SSgt Henry “Red” Erwin Award, NCO, USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany
2006 USAFE ASEV Outstanding Performer, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
2007 NCO Outstanding Aircrew of the Year, 463d Airlift Group. Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
2008 AMC ORI Outstanding Performer, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
2013 Lance P. Sijan Nominee, SNCO, HQ AFMC/A3V, Eglin AFB, Florida
2013 AFMC SSgt Henry “Red” Erwin Award, SNCO, AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2014 AFMC SSgt Henry “Red” Erwin Award, SNCO, AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2014 Lance P. Sijan Nominee, SNCO, 96th Operations Group, Eglin AFB, Florida
2017 CMSgt Fred Archer Nominee, SNCO, 563d Rescue Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
2017 Lance P. Sijan Nominee, SNCO, 563d Rescue Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant July 2018
Senior Master Sergeant July 2015
Master Sergeant June 2010
Technical Sergeant April 2006
Staff Sergeant April 2001
Senior Airman July 1998
Airman First Class March 1996
(Current as of May 2024)