Roger A. Towberman (born 1967/1968) is a retired United States Space Force senior non-commissioned officer who last served as the first chief master sergeant of the Space Force from 2020 to 2023. He also served as the senior enlisted leader of the United States Space Command from 2019 to 2020.
Towberman entered the United States Air Force in 1990. A career ground and airborne cryptologic language and intelligence analyst, he has served as senior enlisted leader for Air Force Space Command, Twenty-Fifth Air Force, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, 55th Electronic Combat Group, and 488th Intelligence Squadron. He transferred to the Space Force on April 3, 2020, becoming the service's first enlisted member.
Early life and education Towberman is the son of Ralph and Holly Towberman. He graduated from Cumberland High School in 1986.
Towberman has attended the following military education courses: 1995 Pacific Air Forces Airman Leadership School, Hickam AFB, Hawaii 2002 U.S. Air Forces in Europe Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Kapaun AB, Germany 2002 Joint Advanced Tactical Signals Intelligence Training Program, Naval Strike, Air Warfare Center, Fallon, Nev. 2004 Associate in Communications Application Technology degree, Community College of the Air Force 2006 U.S. Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2009 U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2014 Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn. 2014 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Military career
Towberman entered the United States Air Force in September 1990, after which he underwent basic military training. He then studied at the Defense Language Institute from October 1990 to December 1991. In May 1992, after graduating from the cryptologic language analyst course at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, he was assigned as systems operator and collection manager at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii. He was stationed there for almost five years until he was assigned to Kelly Field, Texas, as a command and control network analyst in March 1997.
From March 1999 to August 2007, Towberman deployed to RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, as superintendent for standardization and evaluations and flight chief for airborne operations of the 488th Intelligence Squadron. In August 2007, he was assigned as operations superintendent for the 338th Combat Training Squadron. In October 2009, he returned to RAF Mildenhall to serve as operations superintendent for the 488th Intelligence Squadron.
In August 2011, Towberman became the superintendent of the 55th Electronic Combat Group at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, during which he was deployed to Bagram as superintendent of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group from April to November 2012. In May 2013, he was assigned as command chief master sergeant of the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing at Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia.
Towberman was selected to serve as command chief master sergeant for the Twenty-Fifth Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, serving from September 2014 to August 2017. After that stint, he was assigned to the Pentagon as senior enlisted advisor to Shon J. Manasco, the assistant secretary of the Air Force (manpower & reserve affairs).
In November 2018, Towberman started serving as command chief for the Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. When the United States Space Command was reestablished in August 2019, he concurrently served as its first command senior enlisted leader. He relinquished responsibility as command senior enlisted leader in August 2020 after a permanent replacement, U.S. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant Scott H. Stalker, was chosen.
In December 2019, the United States Space Force was established from elements of the Air Force Space Command. In April 2020, General John W. Raymond, the first chief of space operations, chose Towberman to serve as the first senior enlisted advisor of the Space Force, the highest enlisted position in the new service. He assumed office on April 3, 2020, transferring to the Space Force as the second guardian and the first enlisted service member. The position was later renamed as the "chief master sergeant of the Space Force."
Towberman's background includes various duties as a ground and airborne cryptologic language and intelligence analyst. Throughout his career, he has filled myriad leadership roles at the squadron, group, wing, and numbered Air Force level, while stateside and deployed on Operations Joint Forge, Allied Force, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Unified Protector. He is a Career Enlisted Aviator with more than 4,500 flying hours.
Awards and decorations
US Air Force Master Enlisted Aircrew BadgeMaster Intelligence BadgeSpace Staff BadgeHeadquarters Air Force Badge Air Force Distinguished Service MedalDefense Superior Service MedalLegion of MeritBronze Star MedalMeritorious Service Medal with four bronze oak leaf clustersAir Medal with two silver oak leaf clustersAerial Achievement Medal with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clustersJoint Service Commendation MedalAir Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clustersAir Force Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clustersJoint Meritorious Unit AwardAir Force Meritorious Unit Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device and two silver oak leaf clustersAir Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf clusterCombat Readiness Medal with four oak leaf clustersAir Force Good Conduct Medal with silver and three bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Good Conduct Medal (second ribbon to denote tenth award)National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service starArmed Forces Expeditionary Medal with service starKosovo Campaign Medal with service starAfghanistan Campaign Medal with service starGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary MedalGlobal War on Terrorism Service MedalArmed Forces Service Medal with service starMilitary Outstanding Volunteer Service MedalAir and Space Campaign MedalNuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with four oak leaf clustersAir Force Overseas Short Tour Service RibbonAir Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with two bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frameAir Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and one bronze oak leaf clustersNon-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with two oak leaf clustersBasic Training Honor Graduate RibbonSmall Arms Expert Marksmanship RibbonAir Force Training RibbonNATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia
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