Chief Master Sergeant Stephen A. Arbona serves as the Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 88th Air Base Wing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. As the senior enlisted leader, he provides advice and counsel on enlisted issues to approximately 5,000 officers, civilians, and enlisted members across the wing and represents approximately 1,300 enlisted personnel assigned to the wing. The wing provides support and services to one of the largest, most diverse, and most organizationally complex bases in the Air Force, including a major acquisition center, research and development laboratories, a major command headquarters, an airlift wing, and the world’s largest military air museum. The base is home to more than 30,000 employees and is the largest single site employer in the state of Ohio. The chief primarily focuses on deployment readiness, professional development and proper utilization and welfare issues of assigned Airmen and their families. He also advocates commander's policies, organizational goals and objectives to wing personnel, ensuring adherence to standards and mission accomplishment.
Chief Arbona entered the Air Force in March 1991 as a Security Forces Specialist and has served in various positions within the security forces career field at various levels of command. He has deployed to numerous locations in the U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Central Command, and the U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility.
EDUCATION
1997: USAF Airman Leadership School, RAF Feltwell, United Kingdom 2004: Community College of the Air Force
2005: USAF NCO Academy, Kapaun Annex, Germany 2008: USAF Senior NCO Academy Correspondence Course
2009: USAF Senior SNCO Academy, Maxwell-Gunter Annex, Alabama
2010: Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Correspondence Course 2018: Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II Correspondence Course 2018: Bachelor of Arts, Homeland Security/Emergency Management, Ashford University
2018: Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1991 – November 1991: Basic Military Trainee, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. November 1991 – January 1992: Security Police Academy, Lackland AFB, Texas
3. January 1992 – February 1992: Air Base Ground Defense School, Fort Dix, New Jersey
4. February 1992 – January 1996: Flight Security Controller, 448th Missile Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota
5. January 1996 – January 2000: NCOIC, Resource Protection, 48th Security Forces Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, UK
6. January 2000 – March 2001: NCOIC, Investigations,8th Security Forces Squadron, Kunsan AB, South Korea
7. March 2001 – May 2004: Wing Antiterrorism NCO, 374th Security Forces Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
8. May 2004 – September 2008: Operations Superintendent; 786th Security Forces Squadron, Sembach, Germany
9. September 2008 – March 2010: Manager, Resources and Acquisitions, HQ USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany
10. March 2010 – February 2012: Manager, Nuclear Security, Headquarters Air Force A-10, Pentagon
11. February 2012 – June 2013: Security Forces Manager, 811th Security Forces Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
12. June 2013 – July 2015: Chief Enlisted Manager, HQ USAFE Inspector General, Ramstein Airbase, Germany
13. July 2015 – April 2017: MAJCOM Security Forces Manager, HQ USAFE A4S, Ramstein Airbase, Germany
14. April 2017 – November 2017: Security Forces Manager, 811th Security Forces Sq, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
15. December 2017 – May 2018: Group Superintendent, 11th Security Forces Group, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
16. May 2018 – Present: Command Chief, 88th Air Base Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
AF Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korean Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air and Space Campaign Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with 'N' Device
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant August 2013
(Current as of August 2019)